Coming Here with questions and concerns

[Zeo828]

Hi

I'm a 33 year old male. I have tourette's syndrom, which is a tic disorder and a stutter, which I think is all related.

Anyhow, about 10 years ago I went to a concert and when strobe lights game on I learned I couldn't look at them and had to turn away. That is my first memory that I can remember of when lights effected me.

Over the years I realized that certain things bother me, like sunlight shining through a row of trees as I am driving, a broken florescent light, cop car lights, light bulb flashes. ETC..

For years I dealt with this not knowing what is going on. I learned to avoid things as best I can.

Recently I purchased an HDTV 120 hertz. For the last 5 years I had an HDTV with a 60 hertz processing power and it didn't really bother me. But with this new TV I notice that after watching it my tics would be worse, I feel a strange tension behind my eyes, and there are moments when I can't even look at the screen when certain sequences happen. I have to turn away. I noticed that this new tv images are faster and I am constantly turning away from it. The more I look at the TV, the more I feel worse. I have returned 2 HDTV and all have the same effect on me.

I have never had a seizure, but is there something I should know about these TVs, or more importantly myself? I've been to neurologist for my tourettes syndrom and I wonder if I should go back and discuss this with them?

Is it possible to have a form of epilpsy but not have a seizure, or is it possible when I am watching these HDTVs that I am having some form of minor seirzure?

I don't know and I'm getting concerned.

Thanks.

 

[chmmr]

It's definitely possible to have epilepsy without having an "obvious" seizure-it just depends what area of the brain the seizure comes from. You said you can't look at the lights? What happens when you do? Some people are just very sensitive to bright lights (i am and must have sunglasses on bright days and often need them even on cloudy days and i don't have epilepsy). I'm not sure about the TV affecting your tics, but i would say if it is something you are worried about, the best thing is definitely to go talk to your doc about it

 

[Zeo828]

Thanks for the reply.

But to answer your question, when I see a light that bothers me I have to cover my eyes because while in contact with the light I feel strange. For ex, with strobe lights I literally have to look away or I get the feeling that I can't handle it. Hard to descibe.

I have a guitar pedal which has a small red light on it which blinks really fast, I have to look away or shut it off. If I look directly at the light I feel once again like I "can't handle it" or "can't take it."

I look away instinctively, like when someone touches something hot and they instinctively remove their hand from the hot surface.

 

[Cardones]

Hi

Many people feel uncomfortable with flashing lights or weird patterns, but aren't epileptic. Conversely many who do have photosensitive seizures don't feel uncomfortable but the EEG would show their brains behaving abnormally.

Def mention it to your doc if you are worried but diagnosis of photosensitive epilepsy or seizures is usually made clinically i.e. you have an obvious seizure in response to photic stimuli.

Although anything is possible, I think it highly unlikely your TV is causing seizures. It has a refresh rate of 120hz - 90% of photosensitive seizures occur in response to flicker rates of 10-60hz with a peak around 15-30. 100hz or above TVs are recommended for photosensitive people as a result as this rate is too fast for the brain to be irritated by. In addition the tech behind LCD or plasma displays means the screens don't flicker in the same provocative way that older cathrode ray sets do. Therefore with a modern 120hz TV you are pretty safe.

However it doesn't protect you from the actual content being shown on the TV. If seizure inducing material is being shown on TV it won't make much difference whether it is being shown on a 50hz or a 120hz TV. That said most things on TV are checked now to minimise the impact of TV content causing problems.

Overally I doubt your TV is causing seizures. Some TVs have a setting for motion smoothing. All the brands call it something different; on my LG tv it's called TruMotion. When switched on it gives a weird effect to the picture, kind of like it's more real and movies look like documentaries. The motion is also more liquid. It's an odd effect and it makes me feel sick and my girlfriend dizzy so we switch it off. Most TVs come with it switched on by default so turn it off and see if that helps. Also turn down the brightness and contrast to make watching easier - I do that as new TVs often have high colours by default as manufacturers seem to think we want that.

Other than that watch TV in a brightly lit room (put a lamp by or behind the TV to make watching easier and take breaks and see if you feel any better.

Not many people over the age of 16 like strobes, I'm sure you are fine as most likely you would've had a seizure by now if you were photosensitive (the majority (altho not all) of photo seizures are tonic-clonic seizures so pretty hard to miss!).

 

[ROBERT45]

Hey Zeo828, glad you came in and are attentive/aware of yourself and outside influences----sometimes difficult for people to do and admit. Anyway, i can't really give you a definite yes or no to having epilepsy; but I would certainly go tell your neurologist. That is the person with special training to be able to differentiate disorders and see if there is any association with what you are experiencing and your body's/mind is reacting. Not something for me to say. IT IS GREAT that you have been able see the correlation of the same types of environments and stimulations have similar effects on you. For me, I realized the correlation of having seizures at the very often same time of month---a week/10 days at the end of one month and the beginning of the next. Also, how negatively emotional and intense situations especially during that same week/10 day time correlated with increased seizure activity. See that neuro. for confirmation >>>>>Robert

 

[ROBERT45]

chmmr828, I like and agree with what you say. flickering of light can trigger a seizure. To those people that flickering light is a trigger can be riding down a road in a car or bus and the trees causing the sunlight to flicker can and does can seizures. I am on an advisory board for people with disabilities. The public transit system that we work in conjunction with have had people have seizures that were suspected to be caused//triggered by this flickering light caused by the intermittent interruption of sunlight through the leaves of the trees. >>>Robert45

 

[Zeo828]

Thanks

I will def go to a neurologist.

As for the TV, I did take off the motion sensor things. It's called auto motion on my Samsung. The thing is, even still when I watch it, I guess due to the faster frame rate, I feel like things are moving too fast and I can't catch up. Then it becomes like what a strobe light does to me or the sun behind a row of trees and I have to just turn away.

I will also adjust the tv brightness.

Also, I want to note that this past night I awoke from my sleep in a panic with this stange sensation in my eyes and I could't really see from the right eye. It was blurry or I could only see half or something. It actually happended twice throughout the night.

Anyhow I will look into this matter more with a doctor.

Thanks ansd it's great to have a webite where people know there stuff.