By Heritage Gaze · Published 5 November 2026
Start here: FL-41, migraine and light sensitivity science · Blue light glasses buying guide
You know the last few weeks have been difficult. Then someone asks how many headaches you had, how long they lasted and whether the lights hurt before the pain began. It can be hard to remember.
A short diary gives those days a record. It can help you bring clearer information to an appointment and describe what daily light sensitivity is like. It does not need to be a long journal.
Record the date, symptoms, duration and treatment. Add a short note about the light setting if that matters to you. Record good days too. The aim is a clear account, not proof that one food, screen or pair of glasses caused the result.
What is a migraine diary for?
The Migraine Trust explains that a headache diary can help with diagnosis, recognising patterns and assessing treatment. Its advice is to keep basic details such as duration, severity, other symptoms and medicines. Open its headache diary and guidance.
The National Migraine Centre offers another diary that you can download and complete. It suggests recording headaches over a month, or for as long as you can before your appointment. Find the Centre's diary.
These tools come from the named organisations. They are not Heritage Gaze clinical tools. If your clinician asks you to use a particular format, use that one.
A simple light-sensitivity note
Use this layout in a notebook or phone note. Copy the blank row for each entry. It is our simple recording prompt, not a diagnostic scale or a validated questionnaire.
| Date and time | ________________________ |
|---|---|
| Headache and duration | ________________________ |
| Other symptoms | ________________________ |
| Light setting and task | ________________________ |
| Light discomfort, 0–10 | ________________________ |
| Medicine or other changes | ________________________ |
| Could I finish the task? | ________________________ |
For your own notes, define 0 as no light discomfort and 10 as the worst you can imagine. Use the same meaning each time. A personal score helps you describe a day; it is not a medical test.
What might a useful entry look like?
Tuesday, 2 pm. Headache had already started. Meeting room, reading the wall screen. Light discomfort 6/10. Needed a break before the meeting ended. Took my usual prescribed treatment and noted the time.
That entry separates a symptom, a setting and an action. It avoids deciding that the screen caused the whole attack. On a day without a headache, a short “no headache today” note still helps make the record complete.
Use words you understand. “Light hurt before the head pain” is useful. You do not need to write “premonitory photophobia” to describe the order of events.
Look for patterns without forcing an answer
One difficult afternoon cannot tell you what will happen next week. A good day after a change cannot, on its own, show why it was good. Days differ in tasks, sleep, meals, treatment and many other ways.
When you review the notes, ask a few clear questions. Is one room often mentioned? Does light discomfort begin before the headache? Does the diary show fewer interrupted tasks, even when headaches still occur?
Bring the record to your appointment rather than trying to diagnose the cause from a pattern alone. The NHS includes keeping a migraine diary in its advice. Read its migraine guidance.
If you are considering FL-41 glasses
Write down the goal before you choose a pair. You may be exploring whether a tint makes a known light setting more comfortable. That is different from expecting it to prevent every attack.
If you use tinted eyewear, note the pair and when you wore it. Keep recording other treatment and changes to the room. Do not stop prescribed medicine or deliberately expose yourself to painful light to test a product.
Solace is our FL-41 tinted frame. Its exact transmission report is still outstanding. Research on other FL-41 lenses does not predict your personal result. Our full science guide explains what was tested.
Keep private notes private
A symptom diary can contain personal health details. You can keep it on paper or in a private note. There is no need to send your diary to us to choose a frame. Share medical details with the professional helping with your care.
Published by Heritage Gaze, which sells the eyewear linked here. General information, not personal medical advice. No medical review or product-specific clinical trial is claimed. AI-created scenes are illustrations, not patients or testimonials.
Explore Solace for your light-comfort routine
Looking for FL-41 tinted eyewear? Start with Solace. You can also explore our separate amber blue light blocking range below.
Solace FL-41
FL-41 tinted lenses in a black geometric frame. Explore our option for people researching light sensitivity.
Shop Solace FL-41 →Dante
Amber blue light blocking lenses in a square black frame. See the product details and frame photographs.
Shop Dante →Ember
Amber blue light blocking lenses in a round frame. Choose your preferred frame colour on the product page.
Shop Ember →Lens categories have different purposes. Research on FL-41 is not proof that amber blue light glasses treat migraine. See each product page for current details, price and availability.