Behind the Lens features TheraSpecs’ customers and their journey – what brought them to TheraSpecs and how they find relief from eyestrain, headache, migraine, and overall light sensitivities.

What do you do?

I am the vice president of sales at Fantasia Showrooms in Minneapolis. I’m also a piano accompanist and vocal soloist at a church.

What prompted your search for a solution?

My search was prompted because a light bulb (and a fluorescent one at that!) finally went off over my head! I am a church piano accompanist, and our practice room was all low, fluorescent lights. By the time our practice was over (we’re in an old church), I found myself shaking…sort of an inner motion feeling, and often nauseous. I didn’t put two and two together until the following week in my hair salon, which also has lots of low lights. I got really sick and had to have the stylist quickly get the dye out of my hair so I could run outside. I started thinking about other incidents and figured out the possible problem was the lights. I realize this is not the typical migraine reaction, but I think people should know my issues in case they too do not have migraines, but have these problems.

How does light impact your day-to-day?

The day-to-day is impacted a lot. The bathroom in my office building, the convenience store in my office building, and loading dock all bother a great deal. My solution is I have a pair on my desk that I put on when I am going to those places.

Which style of TheraSpecs do you own? And why did you select these?

I own three, and for three different reasons. The Stella, I feel looks a bit more fashionable so those are the ones I keep at work. The Wrap keep in my purse, and use when I go into stores that have a lot of fluorescents, because I feel I need the coverage more. I also have the ones that go over my reading glasses that I need to play piano in the practice room…the choir members (who are old enough) call me Aristotle Onassis.

How do TheraSpecs help you?

Simple…they help me from feeling shaky and sick.

Do you have any tips for finding relief you might share?

One tip I would say, is to have enough pairs that you would not be in a situation somewhere that you would not have a pair with you. I also try to avoid stores if I can that are heavy on the fluorescents. For instance, my husband will get the groceries. I worked a booth at a trade show recently and decided not to wear the glasses and suffered for four hours.