I got one and was negative. I am very sensitive to screens though especially PWM and get crazy prolonged dizziness and detached state from it.
Everyone here needs to get an EEG test for epilepsy
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Did anyone else develop this as a post viral thing? I always had some sensitivity to screens but it really got crazy after getting EBV in my 30s.
There are other things that can have photosensitivity reactions without being epilepsy, such as fibromyalgia, CFS, migraine, some autoimmune diseases, post concussion syndromes...
No matter what the reason, I think there are many groups in society that can have issues with these technologies so solving them at the technical end rather than the medical side would be great.
I can kind of relate to this. I have a so far undiagnosed problem with my immune system, I develop new allergies extremely rapidly, and to pretty much anything I get exposed to orally. Three of these allergies (Sunflower oil, Coffee, Curcumin) greatly worsen my sensitivity to screens, such that monitors that I can normally use fine become unusable. I presume these allergens are getting into my brain, evoking an inflammatory immune response, and thus making me more prone to headaches.
Given this, seems plausible that your EBV exposure has for some reason increased the level of inflammation in your brain too.
I have long suspected our condition is related to epilepsy. I'm going to get this test
Sorry to bump this, but I've been reading a lot about dithering online and found this from somebody's site.
Article: https://smerity.com/articles/2013/dithering.html
"Temporal Dithering
You can also alternate quickly between two colors to end up with what appears to be the average of the two. This is referred to as temporal dithering. You'll most commonly find temporal dithering in hardware, specifically to improve the appearance of an image on a sub-par television or monitor display.
I've made an example of dithering using frame rate control but I preface it with the warning that it may be unsafe for those with epilepsy. If you're still happy that it won't impact you medically and you don't mind your CPU bursting into flames, click here."
I clicked the link on the page, and wouldn't advise anybody to unless you're peeking out of the corner of your eye and not straight at the screen, it is a flicker+strobe fest!
Why would he ask for people to be cautious viewing his test when this exact method of displaying colors is used on our computers right now? Also from Wiki "Dithering takes advantage of the human eye's tendency to "mix" two colors in close proximity to one another."
Thanks for the nice article. It helps understanding dithering I know nothing about.
diop Why would he ask for people to be cautious
I think the guy just meant to emphasize how strong the effects of dithering can be, but did not intend to make any medical statement. I red similar warnings multiple times at art exhibitions where strobing lights were employed.
It should not be difficult to confirm whether dithering triggers epileptic seizures, should it? Pick a bunch of people affected by the pathology, let them play with a modern electronic toy and see what happens. Maybe someone does not want to find out?
When I lived in the States I heard jokes about California, that every product from there comes with a warning, like, this could cause cancer, etc. etc. I have not read anything on the backside of iPhones :-)
100% believe that this could be a symptom of some sort of mild epilepsy and have thought that for years. I've been suffering from this since 2008 after a head injury. I've had the same symptoms as everyone else: extreme brain fog and confusion, inability to focus, headaches, etc.
Interestingly I've built up a tolerance to all my devices by just using them every day for years. I do use f.lux on my laptop and a similar app on my phone, but my TV was unbearable for a few months and I gradually desensitized myself to it.
What really kills me and has drastically altered my life's course is fluorescent lighting. I can't be under them for longer than 10 minutes without these epileptic symptoms. I went to law school in the early 2010s and barely passed because all of my classrooms had fluorescent lighting. When I graduated I was terrified to realize that all of the courtrooms have them as well.
I've been fortunate to be able to control the lighting in my office and whenever something involves going to court I just send another attorney to cover for me. I also can't go into malls or box stores like Best Buy or Walmart or Target. It's a pain in the ass but I've managed and don't really think about it at this point. I would have loved to have been a courtroom litigator but it's not in the cards.
I hadn't checked up on this condition in a few years. Very saddened to see we haven't made much progress on it as far as treatments. But I'd bet if I went to Target for an hour and then went and got an EEG I'd absolutely test positive. Might have to schedule one. The question is... what then? Wish there was a less intense epilepsy medication that would help me out.
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Seagull My sister has systemic mastocytosis, but that isn't meant to run in the family. It took them 10 years to diagnose her and she had pretty obvious autoimmune symptoms. Tick that and other histamine related disorders off the list if you haven't yet. Screens could be a trigger for histamine release.
I don't have many allergies, but I do find high histamine foods give more fuel to the symptoms (beer or wine especially). And I have trouble processing caffeine. It causes psychodelic effects, sore stomach and vomiting after about half an hour (my body more or less reacts like it is a poison).
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Web Thank you for the info. Eye misalignment can also be commonly caused by head injury. Did you by any chance got checked for possible vergence/accomodation problems? Feel free to write me an email at mjanas555 (that at sign) googlemail (dot) com
I am collecting data on this, as so far theres a clear connection.
It may sound useless philosophizing but I wonder
- is there even a single person with diagnosed strabismus who is capable of utilizing a modern electronic device, let's say, a Samsung S10 that knocks me down in a few seconds?
- is there a single individual who suffers from epilepsy who can use a recent smartphone? I tried to search literature and I bumped into People with epilepsy can benefit from smartphone apps to manage their condition. Not a proof of anything but a bit confusing...
I would bet my dollar on yes. I think medical doctors in the respective fields should know the statistics.
screenjunky I tested negative for epilepsy. So the only thing I ever found, and that ever helped, is heterophoria and the treatment. If anyone needs, write me a message or email and Ill help with your self diagnosis. Once I can provide some network of good professionals, Ill share it here.
I did this test. I do not have epilespy.
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AGI is there a single individual who suffers from epilepsy who can use a recent smartphone
I remember during the hayday of the iPhone X someone who said he already had "photosensitive epilepsy controlled by medication" that the iPhone X was making him feel like he was going to have a seizure. So I believe there's some overlap of negative symptoms and epilepsy.
Which specialist would you go if you suspected to be photosensitive?
anyone have experience with the new home eeg kits? $500
Did anyone else from this thread go for an EEG and get a result one way or another? Very curious about this as the more I read about it the more I can see how the symptoms align in certain places.
I'd love to go for an EEG but I do worry that a positive result would lead to losing my drivers license for a period which is impossible for me. Is that the case, even if you've never had anything other than a focal aware seizure (which is what I suspect I've had, triggered by temporal dithering sensitivity).
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I've been working with a neurologist for a while, and she suggested that an EEG and MRI may be helpful to potentially rule out neurological conditions. I specifically asked if it would be possible for me to do the EEG while using a problematic device (I'm bringing an iPhone XS Max, which causes symptoms very quickly in my case), and she said that would be fine. She seemed relatively confident that they may be able to see what happens to my brain in real time while looking at flicker.
I'll definitely post back here with my results, I'm really curious if they'll be able to see anything.