A personal search for relief—and what we learned along the way—inspired us to create TheraSpecs. We've since expanded our product line from FL-41 glasses to a spectrum of lenses designed to address various light-related situations. Now, TheraSpecs customers are using our light-filtering lenses to stay protected against screens, fluorescent lights, LEDs, sunlight flashing lights, unwanted blue, and more!

In fact, they tell us they have made TheraSpecs part of their light management toolkits, so that they can live better with different types of light sensitivity, including those associated with migraine, brain injury and post-concussion syndrome, epilepsy, contrast sensitivity, insomnia, night driving, and many more.

Developed based on our extensive review of peer-reviewed research on light and driven by our commitment to helping others, we offer a range of options designed to empower people everywhere they encounter light. Read on for the story of how we started and the passion that drives our work.

Our Desperate Search

Migraines knock me flat a few times a year, but that is nothing compared to what my wife Kerrie goes through. She has fought daily headaches since she was a teenager, and in 2003, they became intense enough that she had to stop regular work. We've tried everything we could find that might help her, including countless drugs, physical therapy, Botox, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and even an implanted experimental nerve stimulator. We thought we were experts on all the possible treatments but then her headache specialist suggested another possibility: light itself could be making her sicker.

The doctor recommended we look into glasses with a special precision tint that filters the light that he said may be responsible for triggering or aggravating such problems as migraines, headaches, and eyestrain. I immediately started reading everything I could find about this tint and was surprised to learn that not all wavelengths of light are equal. I learned that some wavelengths, particularly in the blue part of the spectrum between 480-520nm, may irritate nerves in the eye and brain and trigger pain.¹ And these wavelengths are everywhere in natural and artificial light, including screens, LEDs, and fluorescent lights. I also found that fluorescent lights can be particularly problematic for some people.

Fluorescent Light Nightmare

Some people report feeling unwell under fluorescent lights, which may be related to how they pulse faster than you can consciously see but the brain still acknowledges this pulsing as rapid signals from the nerves of the eye. Rapidly repeating patterns, such as blinking lights or even stripes of the right width, may be challenging too. For some, it may be associated with headaches, migraines, seizures, eyestrain, and nausea.² With the use of fluorescent lighting growing, we may be exposing ourselves to more and more of this pulsing, without even being conscious of its impact.

I learned that the precision tint Kerrie's specialist recommended was designed to most strongly filter these distinct wavelengths, including where the pulsing is most intense. We were encouraged to seek out glasses with a similar tint for Kerrie.

Our Glasses Quest

It took us a while to find glasses with the right tint, but we were glad once we did. Kerrie noticed an immediate difference with them and could once again brave brightly-lit commercial spaces and friends' houses lit with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). Even better, they also seemed to help with her computer monitor.

Unfortunately, while the tint was great, the glasses were far from perfect. When Kerrie wore them, she also always put on a baseball cap and often held her hands beside her eyes to block light from all sides as well as reflections. The glasses simply let in too much light around the lenses, especially from above. That's when we started talking about the ideal glasses for people with problems with light.

These ideal glasses would wrap around the face to filter light from the sides and prevent reflections from behind without blocking peripheral vision. The frames would stop light from above, have flexible earpieces to avoid squeezing the head, and be lightweight so they were comfortable enough to wear all day. And, of course, the precision-tinted lenses would filter specific wavelengths of unwanted light. Bam! We’d thought of a new kind of glasses, and we knew Kerrie needed them.

TheraSpecs are Born

It took me months to figure out how to get the perfect pair of glasses made for Kerrie but the effort was worth it. They were a tremendous improvement over her first glasses and made a huge difference. We developed some additional pairs for people we knew who had problems with light like Kerrie did, and they too had great things to say about the glasses. That's when Kerrie and I knew that we wanted to figure out how to make our glasses easily available so they could help other people, too.

More than a decade later, we’re changing the lives of our customers every day. They’re doing more of the things they love with the help of TheraSpecs—from going to concerts and movies, to spending more time with their loved ones, to being more productive at work. But the best part for me is personal: Kerrie no longer fears the light.

We both recognize the impact that bringing TheraSpecs to the world has delivered for people like us, and we work every day to continue that mission. We strive to keep our glasses affordable, less than a pair of designer sunglasses and much less than what we pay every month for Kerrie's medications. And we want them to be fast and easy to buy online and risk-free to try. We hope they can be a valuable part of your light management toolkit, and you can try out our readymade pairs for a while and see how well they work for you. If you don't like them, you can send your undamaged glasses back for a full, fast, no-hassle refund.

TheraSpecs helped Kerrie, and I believe they may help you stay protected against the light that gives you trouble, too. Order a pair today and do more than return to your daily life—embrace it.