When you don't really have symptom-free days, it's hard to figure out if these are actual "triggers" or just things that are made more difficult because of SOM. 

 

Yes.  Temperature extremes, especially cold,  and low pressure made symptoms more noticable--may have been real triggers in the beginning of the journey.

 

This is a definite yes.  Bright sunlight and indoor flourescent light.  Lower, incandescent light was and is much preferable.  I had the flourescent lights removed from my office and bought three incandescent lamps.

 

No

 

Change to "any driving".  Didn't trigger symptoms but immediately and often dramatically worsened them.

 

Reliably caused more pressure and pain.  Will be interested, after surgery, to see if the pressure is still noticable.

 

 Sinus is a yes.  Probably a trigger at first, and later more of an  exacerbation .  Same for bad allergy days.

 

No

 

No

 

 Sudden unpleasant events.  The kinds of things that jolt you would also jolt the eye.

 

It became very difficult to take notes, facilitate meetings, or to function well under flourescent light.  Sometimes I would quitely have to ask a colleague to take over. Computers--got used to working with one eye shut.  Some days, art work, reading, sewing--just seemed to make SOM worse or more frustrating.  Were they actual triggers?  I don't really know.

 

No

 

No

 

Having people stand too close when talking to me.  Being in brightly lit situations with lots of motion (I call it the "WalMart Syndrome").  Watching TV with a compulsive channel-changer.  Movies and stage productions. Being rushed or pressured.  Being in social situations (parties, etc.) where I am expected to maintain eye contact.

 

Note:  Most of these situations are things you can't change, and you can't just sit home under an incandescent light, doing nothing.  The positive thing is that when I'd escape from a particularly annoying setting, I'd know that there would be at least a little relief.  Defining triggers can help with planning coping strategies in advance, when you can.  If you reach a point of not really having remissions, then triggers and exacerbations are really difficult to distinguish, and the difference isn't very important.