Migraine Light Sensitivity: Why Light Hurts and What Can Help

Light sensitivity isn’t just about bright rooms or sunny days. For many of us, it’s pain. It’s nausea. It’s dizziness. It’s the feeling that your nervous system is stuck on high alert with no off switch.

If you live with migraine, you’ve probably heard the phrase “light sensitivity” more times than you can count. And yet, it’s still one of the most misunderstood migraine symptoms. It is often brushed off as an inconvenience instead of the disabling neurological response it actually is.

This post is here to explain what migraine light sensitivity actually is, why it happens, and whether tools like migraine glasses can help reduce the burden. Not to fix migraine. Not to replace medical treatment. But to make daily life a little more manageable.

Throughout this post, when I refer to migraine glasses, I’m talking about light sensitivity glasses. These are glasses designed to reduce the types of light that can worsen migraine symptoms. You may also hear them called FL-41 glasses or photophobia glasses.

Light sensitivity, also called photophobia, is one of the most common and disabling symptoms of migraine disease. It can happen during an attack, between attacks, or be present nearly all the time for people with chronic migraine.

Photophobia doesn’t mean your eyes are weak. It means your brain is processing light differently.

In a migraine brain, certain types of light overstimulate the nervous system. This can trigger or worsen symptoms such as:

• Head pain or pressure
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Brain fog
• Eye strain or eye pain
• Extreme fatigue

This is why even normal lighting, such as fluorescent bulbs, LED screens, grocery store lighting, or overcast daylight, can feel unbearable.

Research shows that certain wavelengths of light, especially in the blue-green range, are more likely to activate pain pathways in the migraine brain. Instead of being filtered out the way they are for people without migraine, that light amplifies discomfort and can prolong or intensify symptoms.

This helps explain why:

• Closing your eyes doesn’t always help
• Wearing regular sunglasses indoors can feel uncomfortable
• Screens and overhead lighting are especially triggering

Your brain isn’t broken.
It’s overwhelmed.

Understanding why light hurts during migraine is important. But for most of us, the next question is practical.

Is there anything we can actually do about it?

This is where migraine glasses enter the conversation.

Most migraine glasses are built around the same core idea. Certain wavelengths of light are more likely to worsen migraine symptoms, so reducing exposure to those wavelengths can make light more tolerable overall. The goal is not darkness. The goal is balance.

This distinction matters. Completely blocking light, such as wearing dark sunglasses indoors all the time, can make light sensitivity worse over time by teaching the brain to expect darkness. Migraine glasses are designed to do the opposite. They protect the brain from harsh light while still allowing enough safe light through. This helps reduce sensory overload without creating a dependence on darkness.

One of the most widely studied and commonly used filters for migraine is called FL-41.

FL-41 is a rose-tinted lens designed to block parts of the blue-green light spectrum that are known to activate migraine-related pain pathways in the brain. Unlike regular sunglasses, FL-41 lenses do not block all light. They soften harsh lighting, especially fluorescent lights, LED screens, and indoor glare, while still allowing enough light through for everyday activities.

For many people with migraine, FL-41 lenses make environments like grocery stores, offices, and screen-heavy spaces feel less overwhelming. Instead of triggering immediate pain or nausea, light becomes more manageable.

TheraSpecs is one of the most well-known brands using FL-41 technology. Their lenses are specifically designed for migraine and photophobia and are commonly used indoors, during screen time, or under artificial lighting. Because the tint is visible, they do stand out. For many people, the symptom relief outweighs the cosmetic difference.

Avulux lenses take a slightly different approach.

Rather than using a traditional tinted lens, Avulux uses a precision optical filter that selectively blocks migraine-triggering wavelengths while allowing more natural, comfortable light through. Because of this, Avulux lenses appear more neutral in color and are often preferred by people who want a less noticeable look, especially for all-day wear or driving. Avulux lenses are also the only migraine glasses that have been extensively researched and specifically designed for people living with migraine.

Both FL-41 lenses and Avulux lenses are designed with the same goal. They protect the migraine brain from overstimulation without forcing it into darkness.

Neither option is a cure, and neither will work for everyone. Migraine is highly individual. But for people whose symptoms are triggered or worsened by light, these lenses can be a meaningful tool, especially when used alongside medical treatment and other migraine supports.