What are fl-41 lenses?

Although we are not completely sure why FL-41 improves light sensitivity, it seems to have something to do with the wavelengths/spectrums of light that are filtered out.  FL-41 filters out certain wavelengths of blue and green. These colors are thought to be particularly bothersome to patients with light sensitivity. By blocking these wavelengths of light, this filter also improves contrast and sharpness which increases visual acuity.

The FL-41 filter can be applied to most any lens material – providing it DOES NOT have any coatings applied to it beforehand – i.e. – no hard coats, scratch coats, UVA/UVB filters, anti- reflective (AR) treatments, or other tints/filters, etc. These coatings, if wanted, can be done after the FL-41 filter has been applied to the lenses. If you’re wanting a dark FL-41 filter, CR-39 plastic would be the best lens material, as it is a more porous material and can absorb the filter more deeply. Light to medium FL-41 filter can be done on pretty much any lens material.

Most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, do not cover the cost of adding filters to lenses. However, there may be exceptions, so contact your individual insurance provider.

Are there any side effects from wearing FL-41 filter?  There are no known side effects from wearing the filter.

The FL-41 filter can be worn indoors and/or outdoors. However, that having been said, the FL-41 filter is typically used and seems to be more beneficial in an indoor arena and setting. The "FL" in FL-41 stands for "fluorescent." We’ve found that most patients prefer some type of polarized lens out of doors. There are a few, though, who do prefer the FL-41 filter outdoors, as well as indoors. Some will get one pair (lighter) for indoors and one pair (darker) for outdoors. If you’re wanting them for multiple settings/environments, more than one pair will typically be needed.

The FL-41 filter, alone, is $35, plus tax. From there, it just depends on your prescription and what "add-ons" you’re needing/wanting.

Can I still get the FL-41 filter if I live out of state/country?  Yes. In this case, we send you an FL-41 filter order form – which we will need you to fill out completely. You would then mail that order form, along with your own frame(s) – (we ask that you provide your own frame(s) to ensure style, fit, comfort, etc.) - and we will build the lenses from there. We do not accept lenses from other facilities/opticals. Should you be needing Rx lenses – and not just the filter – we will need a current, dated and signed spectacle prescription, as well as Rx/lens measurements – i.e. – PD (pupillary distance) and/or a seg. ht. – for any type of multi-focal.

Shipping costs, for in and out of state orders, are a flat $10 – in addition to your order total. Out of country shipping costs will vary. We do charge sales tax on orders – even if your state or country does not charge sales tax. The current Utah sales tax rate is 6.85% on the dollar.

FL-41 tinted lenses originated in the 1990s to help with fluorescent lights and it’s now used to help with light sensitivity and migraine — a disorder that affects 1 in 4 households in the United States. And while a lot of things can bring on a migraine attack, it turns out that light is one of the most common triggers.

What does all of this mean for you? Well, if you’re among the more than 90% of migraineurs who are sensitive to light, the FL-41 tint can be an incredible tool. We’re here to tell you why these tinted glasses are important, how they work, and who should probably be wearing them.

As the vast majority of migraine sufferers can tell you, bright light can be a major trigger. The source of that light also makes a difference, presenting a big obstacle for migraineurs living in the modern world. For example, some of the worst offenders for light sensitivity and migraine symptoms include:

For many, fluorescent lighting is particularly troublesome because of the invisible flickering effect it creates. All by itself, this flicker is enough to create photophobia symptoms — such as headaches or migraine attacks — in some people.

Notice how all these types of light are generally found indoors. Forgive the bad pun, but this is where the FL-41 tint really shines.

In fact, Axon Optics takes the FL-41 technology further than others (more on that later). Over 85% of Axon Optics users report a reduction in headache and light sensitivity impact with our upgraded lenses.

“These tinted glasses make all the difference. They allow me to comfortably work indoors…”

-Patsy

“I suffer from migraines frequently. I work in a hospital and go to pharmacy school so I am exposed to plenty of screen time and fluorescent lights a lot of the time triggering my migraines. When I wore my glasses to the first few days of work I did not have a migraine the whole day! I did not experience eye pain or any time of discomfort when wearing my glasses…As a 23 year old who gets at least 10 migraines a month and pretty severe ones too this purchase has made a difference in my light sensitive eyes.”

-Meagen

“This is my second pair of glasses from Axon Optics. These have everything—they’re lightweight and comfortable, and they are also extremely effective at relieving my photosensitivity. I notice a very real difference when I’m not wearing my Axons.”

-Sara

As you have probably gathered by now, FL-41 is a precise tint designed to be used in lenses for light sensitive people. They are commonly used as migraine glasses by those who suffer from them, as well as by others with light sensitivity. They came to be in the 1980s, when Dr. Arnold Wilkins of Cambridge University had patients complaining of eye strain and headaches from fluorescent lights. He wanted to help them, so he worked to develop an eyeglass tint to reduce the specific light wavelengths emitted by fluorescent bulbs. His team called the tint Fluorescent-41, or FL-41.

Over the last 10 years or so, as scientific understanding of photophobia has increased, so has the availability and popularity of FL-41 lenses. They’re popular because they’re effective. The tint blocks blue light, around 480 nanometers. These specific wavelengths have been shown most likely to trigger or worsen photophobia and related symptoms like migraine, nausea, dizziness and anxiety. FL 41 tint is also effective at diminishing the effects of flickering.

If you have light sensitivity, we don’t need to convince you how problematic specific types of light and flickering can be.

In England in the early 1990s, FL-41 tint was part of research into how the tinted lenses might help kids with migraine. Researchers learned that wearing FL-41 lenses improved light sensitivity and reduced the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. In the study, those who wore FL-41 lenses saw a reduction in migraine episodes from 6.2 per month to 1.6 per month. That’s a pretty big difference! This and other studies show that FL-41 glasses are an effective migraine treatment, with ongoing research that reaffirms earlier findings.

Fast forward to the late 2000s. Dr. Bradley Katz, neuro-ophthalmologist and co-founder of Axon Optics, took things a little further. He was inspired by research indicating that FL-41 works well, but could be improved. He modified the lens to be lighter, with more of a rose-tinted hue, rather than the earlier red-brown version. He then conducted a study using the updated version on patients with blepharospasm (BEB). With the altered tint, patients saw an improvement in their conditions with involuntary eyelid movements decreased. We’ll tell you more about our updated version of FL-41 migraine glasses in just a bit.

Dr. Katz talks more about it here:

Sunglasses are great for what they’re meant to do: block all types of light to protect your eyes from UV rays. A good pair of sunglasses is really important, especially if you’re light sensitive. However, wearing sunglasses indoors as a protective measure for photophobia isn’t recommended. Habitually wearing sunglasses indoors may actually dark adapt your eyes and make your sensitivity worse in the long run. Unless you’re a bear, hibernating in the dark shouldn’t be part of your normal life.

For this reason, Axon Optics’ FL-41 tint is best for indoor lighting conditions. They’re designed to block only the harmful types of light and let the rest in, so dark adaptation won’t be a problem. FL-41 tint can also be applied to outdoor sunglasses. This can give you an extra measure of protection from not only bright UV light, but blue light specifically.

Let’s go back to Dr. Katz and his 2016 study on his updated version of FL-41 lenses. Because of his research, Axon Optics has been able to make improvements to the standard FL-41 tinted glasses. Dr. Katz actually pioneered many of the studies Axon Optics competitors cite as evidence that FL-41 lenses work. But with his continued guidance as our co-founder, we’ve significantly upgraded the original tint for maximum relief.

Indeed, studies have proven that not all FL-41 glasses are created equal. Just look at the different color of the glasses that claim to be FL-41 migraine glasses. Our lenses are not only different, but better at blocking the harmful light while letting in the good. But we don’t just leave well enough alone.

We’re also continually conducting research on how we can make our lenses better. As part of those efforts, we’ve been busy collecting customer feedback for over 10 years, and the data they’ve provided is in the form of clinically validated Headache Impact Tests (HIT-6). Below is just a sample of the results specifically related to the Axon Optics updated version of FL-41 lenses. Users report:

As you can see, Axon Optics precision-tinted glasses provide a big upgrade to the FL-41 tint. We are also extremely careful about how our eyewear is made, using only the premium stuff.

When it comes to the impact light sensitivity and symptoms like migraine have on your life, we believe our customers want and deserve the very latest research and best results. This is why we test our eyewear and continue to push our technology based on what science tells us. We want you to experience fewer symptoms of light sensitivity so you can live life with less pain.

We’ve been talking about how FL-41 lenses may help people with migraine by reducing symptoms of light sensitivity. However, that isn’t their only application. This very precise tint may also help ease some other conditions.

Blepharospasm (BEB) describes involuntary or abnormal contracting or twitching of the eyelids. It often subsides on its own, but could become a chronic condition. It usually begins with small, occasional eyelid twitching.

Over time it may begin to occur more often, and worsen to the point where it causes your eyes to completely shut. Naturally, this is not only incredibly annoying, but presents a real problem when you’re trying to work, drive, or read.

Anyone might experience a twitching eyelid. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have blepharospasm. Dry eye, stress, excess caffeine (back away from the Red Bull), or fatigue could be to blame. In these cases the issue will usually go away on its own.

But other times, blepharospasm may occur due to other conditions like Tourette syndrome (a tic disorder), Parkinson’s disease or Meige syndrome (which involves additional abnormal, involuntary movements of the jaw and tongue). Certain medications can also trigger it as a side effect. If your eyelids twitch for more than a few weeks, keep closing completely, or involve other parts of your face, you’ll want to see your doctor.

Some people with epilepsy are light sensitive, meaning their seizures may be triggered by bold, intense, or flashing lights. Common triggers for these people include:

There are medications available to reduce seizure risk, but those who have light sensitive epilepsy should also do what they can to minimize exposure, including blocking offending light with FL-41 lenses.

The average worker in the US spends about 7 hours per day on the computer, whether in an office or working from home. Also called digital eye strain, computer vision syndrome (CVS) describes vision or eye problems that arise from prolonged use of computers, tablets, smartphones, or e-readers.

Obviously, this is a big part of most of our lives. But here’s the issue. Digital screens are visually demanding. Glare, reflections, and reduced contrast (as opposed to paper) have a way of making your eyes work harder. If you spend 2 to 3 hours continually looking at a digital screen every day, you’re more likely to develop CVS. Symptoms include:

Even if you aren’t particularly light sensitive, you may develop CVS and associated symptoms. If these symptoms sound familiar and you spend a lot of time on a computer, you may benefit from tinted glasses with an FL-41 tint for computer use.

There are actually 50 known conditions which have been associated with light sensitivity. Here are just a few of them:

If you don’t have any of these conditions, but feel like artificial light or digital screens make you feel poorly or bother your eyes, you can probably benefit from Axon Optics lenses and our exclusive upgrades to the FL-41 tint. Try them with our 60 day return policy.

FL-41 filters out certain wavelengths of blue and green. These colors are thought to be particularly bothersome to patients with light sensitivity . By blocking these wavelengths of light, this filter also improves contrast and sharpness which increases visual acuity.

FL-41 has been around for decades and is supported by medical research as a key tool in the fight against light sensitivity and photophobia. In this post, we answer some of the biggest questions patients have about how and why it works.

FL-41 is a type of specialty eyewear tint designed for people with light sensitivity and most commonly recommended for patients with migraine, post-concussion syndrome and dozens of other light-sensitive conditions. It was first introduced back in the early 1990’s as part of a research study that explored how glasses coated with this precision tint might help alleviate the migraine symptoms of young children—particularly against the harm of fluorescent lighting. Within the last decade, advancements in the understanding of photophobia and light sensitivity have precipitated more widespread availability of FL-41 to patients all over the world.

Glasses lenses that are properly tinted with FL-41 block a majority of blue light—approximately 80 percent—within the spectrum of 480-520 nanometers (nm). Why that particular light? It stems from clinical research that showed that those particular wavelengths were the most likely to trigger or aggravate light sensitivity in conditions like migraine. Not only can exposure to this light hurt the eyes and brain of a vulnerable patient, but it can also bring on other symptoms of their illness—dizziness or vertigo, nausea, anxiety and more.1

Similarly, conventional fluorescent lighting can emit an invisible “flicker” or modulation at certain wavelengths that can cause problems for sensitive brains. FL-41 stunts much of this flicker to provide relief under artificial fluorescents and even device screens that produce a similar effect.2

Although FL-41 was developed primarily for people with migraine-related light sensitivity, you do not need only have a headache disorder to feel relief with the tint. In fact, more than 50 known conditions are associated with photophobia and persistent light sensitivity. Not to mention that eye and head injuries, attention deficit issues, as well as some forms of epilepsy can also be affected by light. In addition, anybody who generally feels badly under artificial fluorescents or staring at digital screens all day can enjoy the positive results of FL-41.

As we mentioned FL-41 glasses only target blue light, which makes them the preferred substitute for indoor use over regular, dark sunglasses. FL-41 lenses tinted for indoors do not have to be nearly as dark and therefore do not risk the additional complications of ocular dark adaptation and social isolation. However, FL-41 can separately be applied to a darker and polarized lens, making them the best sunglasses you could ever own.

Two landmark studies have verified the benefits of the FL-41 tint for patients. As noted above, the originating study showed that migraine frequency in children decreased from 6 attacks per month to fewer than two per month. Perhaps most importantly, the use of FL-41 sustained this improvement over time when compared with a simple blue tint.3 A 2016 study applied the same FL-41 properties through a different mechanism, but ultimately validated the earlier research.4

A more recent study focused on those with sensitivity to light stemming from benign essential blepharospasm. Once again, the wearing of FL-41 glasses created superior outcomes for participants versus other therapeutic tints; not only did they help reduce generalized photophobia, but they minimized fluorescent light sensitivity and overall condition and symptom burden.5

Although not considered direct research, it is also important to note that thousands of individuals have tried and benefitted from FL-41 eyewear. And hundreds more specialists in headache/migraine medicine and neurology refer the tint to their patients.

TheraSpecs are the leading brand of FL-41 glasses, with thousands of customers vouching for their quality and effectiveness. Whether you need prescription or non prescription lenses, enhanced frame protection or anything else, the TheraSpecs team is here to help. Click below to start shopping for FL-41 today!

References:

1M. Tatsumoto, T. Eda, T. Ishikawa, M. Ayama, K. Hirata “Light of Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cell (ipRGC) Causing Migraine Headache Exacerbation.” IHC symposium OR3. 2013 June.

2Wilkins AJ, Wilkinson P. “A tint to reduce eye strain from fluorescent lighting? Preliminary observations.” Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 1991 Apr;11(2):172-5.

TheraSpecs can be purchased quickly, easily, and securely through our online store. Whether you live in the US, UK, and Canada, we are able to ship them to just about anywhere in the world. In-stock pairs ship the same or next business day; custom orders take approximately 15 business days.

While nearly 90% of those who try TheraSpecs experience relief, we also know that every brain responds differently. If they don’t help, you can always return your undamaged pair back within 60 days of purchase for a full refund. We never want you to feel stuck with a product that does not work with you. (Note: we are unable to refund prescription and custom orders)

Try them and see how they can help you or your loved one take control, stop fearing the light, and find relief!

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