Photosensitivity and Seizures

Exposure to Strong Environmental Lights

• Avoid exposure to certain kinds of flashing lights if possible.
• Cover one eye and turn away from the source of flashing lights. Closing both eyes or turning your eyes in another direction will not help.
• As a passenger in a car, sit in a seat where you will receive the least amount of flickering natural light. 

Television Screens

• Watch television in a well-lit room to reduce the contrast between light from the set and light in the room.
• Reduce the brightness of the screen.
• Sit as far back from the screen as possible.
• Use the remote control to change channels on the TV so you won’t have to get too close to the set.
• Avoid watching for long periods of time.
• Wear polarized sunglasses while viewing television to reduce glare.

Video Games

• Sit at least 2 feet from the screen in a well-lit room.
• Reduce the brightness of the screen.
• Do not let children play video games if they are tired.
• Take frequent breaks from games.
• When playing, look away from the screen every once in a while. Do not close and open eyes while looking at the screen. Blinking may facilitate seizures in sensitive individuals.
• Cover one eye while playing. Alternate which eye is covered at regular intervals.
• Turn the game off if you feel any symptoms of a seizure. 

Computer Monitors

• Use a flicker-free monitor (LCD display or flat screen).
• Use a monitor glare guard.
• Wear non-glare glasses to reduce glare from the screen.
• Take frequent breaks from tasks involving the computer.
• Play any PC computer games in a smaller window mode instead of full screen mode.

Social Media Video Autoplay

It is possible on most social media and some website browsers to turn off or disable the video autoplay feature. Taking this step on the tools you use can help limit your risk of exposure to potentially seizure- and headache-inducing content. Find tips here.

Strobe Lights

As much as possible, avoid being in places where strobe lights are used, such as certain bars, clubs, or concerts. If a strobe light suddenly appears, cover one eye and turn away from the source of flashing lights and try to leave the area.

School dances may also have strobes; however most schools will avoid strobe lights if there is a student with photosensitive epilepsy who wishes to attend the dance. It is important to convey this need to the school.

Visual Fire Alarm Strobe Lights

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), most workplaces and places serving the public, including theaters, restaurants, and recreation areas, are required to have fire alarms that flash as well as ring so people who cannot hear or cannot hear well will know there is an emergency. To reduce the likelihood of the strobe light triggering a seizure, the Epilepsy Foundation’s Professional Advisory Board recommends:

• The flash rate be kept to under 2 Hertz with breaks every so often between flashes
• Flashing lights should be placed at a distance from each other and set to flash together at the same time to avoid an increase in the number of individual flashes

Read an updated review by experts convened by the Epilepsy Foundation about visually sensitive seizures published in 2022. (Fisher, R.S., Archarya, J.N., Baumer, F.M., French, J.A., Parisi, P., Solodar, J.H., Szaflarski, J.P., Thio, L.L., Tolchin, B., Wilkins, A.J., & Kasteleijn-Nolst Trenité, D. (2022). Visually sensitive seizures: An updated review by the Epilepsy Foundation. Epilepsia, 63:739-768. DOI: 10.1111/epi.17175.)