u/bjdhami69

Hi everyone,

I have migraine/tension-type headaches, and I’ve noticed two things that I’m trying to understand.

First: cold air.

Whenever I’m exposed to strong AC or very cold air for some time, I sometimes develop a headache or my existing headache gets worse. I’m not talking about eye irritation or dry eyes here — I mean the headache itself.

Does anyone else with migraine experience this?

Is cold air/AC one of your migraine triggers?

Second: concentration/reading.

I also have a strange problem with concentration. When I try to study, read a book, watch something carefully, or concentrate on something for a long time, I can start developing a headache.

If I already have a headache and I force myself to read or use my phone/computer, the pain can become significantly worse. Then my ability to concentrate becomes even worse.

I also experience photophobia (light sensitivity) and phonophobia (sound sensitivity).

So I'm wondering:

1. Does concentrating/reading trigger headaches for anyone else?

2. Can migraine itself make it difficult to focus?

3. Do you experience headaches from computer work or studying?

4. Does cold AC/cold wind trigger your migraine?

5. What has helped you personally?

6. Have you been able to work/study normally despite these symptoms?

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have screen-heavy jobs or study for several hours a day. I'm hoping to eventually study in Japan and work in IT, so I'm worried about whether I'll be able to handle a computer-based career with these symptoms.

I'm not looking for a diagnosis—I'd mainly like to hear about other people's experiences and what helped them.

Thanks ❤️

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Hi everyone,

I’m in my early 20s and I’ve been dealing with migraines and tension-type headaches. My biggest problems are light sensitivity (photophobia), screen sensitivity, and noise sensitivity.

Bright lights, prolonged phone/computer use, reading, or too much visual stimulation can make my headache worse. When the headache becomes severe, I sometimes also experience dizziness and difficulty speaking, so I’m currently discussing these symptoms with my doctor.

At the moment, I’m trying to figure out how to manage this long-term rather than simply avoiding everything that triggers me.

One of my biggest concerns is my career and future.

I want to study in Japan in the future and eventually work in the IT field, which probably means spending many hours in front of a computer. I'm worried about how I'll manage that if screens and bright lights continue to trigger my headaches.

So I’d really like to hear from people who have migraines/photophobia and work or study in IT, programming, software, data, office jobs, or other screen-heavy careers.

How do you manage it?

How many hours can you comfortably work on a computer?

Do you use FL-41 or other tinted glasses?

Do dark mode, warm/red screen filters, lower

brightness, or larger text actually help you?

Do you take regular breaks, and how do you structure your workday?

Does your workplace allow you to adjust lighting or your monitor?

Have you found that your tolerance to screens improved over time?

How do you handle migraine attacks when you still have work/studying to do?

Most importantly, were you able to build a successful career despite having significant photophobia/migraines?

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who initially struggled with screens but eventually found a way to work full-time.

I’m not looking for medical advice or asking anyone to diagnose me. I’d just really appreciate hearing your personal experiences and what helped you make work and everyday life manageable.

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to share. ❤️

Hi everyone,

I'm a 25-something guy from Nepal, currently living in Bangalore, India. I've had migraine with photophobia (light sensitivity) and phonophobia (sound sensitivity) since I was 13-14 years old. Even as a kid, when I was stressed or overthinking, normal noises would start hurting my head and I'd hear a humming sound in my ears. School was tough because group chatter and classroom noise triggered it.

I grew up poor, dad wasn't supportive, and I faced a lot of bullying because I couldn't afford good clothes or books. That made my overthinking worse and the noise sensitivity got deeply rooted. Now as an adult, I'm on Amitriptyline 25mg prescribed by a neurologist. It's helping slowly, but I'm far from fully functional in a normal workplace.

Right now, the only job I can manage is food delivery in SWISH (from same store). I do 10-minute deliveries on a bike, 3.5 km radius. The problem: waiting at restaurants, the exhaust sound of the kitchen is incredibly loud. I use Honeywell Bilsom 304L foam earplugs to survive there, but I can't wear them while riding (safety). The phone screen brightness for the delivery app also triggers photophobia after a while.

Because of the migraine and sensitivity, I can't do an office job — the screen and open floor noise would break me within a day. I feel trapped. I have a wife, and I'm the only earning member. I'm trying to keep myself calm with meditation, yoga, and morning exercise, but I'm scared about my future.

Have any of you managed a delivery job or any noisy outdoor job with severe phonophobia and photophobia? What practical adjustments did you make? Are there better earplugs that reduce noise but let you hear traffic? How do you handle bright phone screens under sunlight?

Please share your real experiences, not motivational quotes. I need ground-level advice.

Thank you.