You will find many articles, forums, and blogs on Fibromyalgia and Sensory Overload out there. Those of us that have Fibromyalgia may also have sensory overload issues. We may not have it in the beginning, and it could develop later down the line.
This is an area that is still being studied to see how it relates to Fibromyalgia. I can tell you from personal experience since being diagnosed with Fibro I have become more sensitive to certain sounds, and lights.
Very loud noises make my ears ring and hurt. I have to watch the volume level on the radio in the car, at home and also when I wear earphones. I also have the opposite sometimes where I feel my ears are clogged and have to turn things up a bit more.
I have become more sensitive to bright lights if they are shown right on my face. I have an extremely hard time driving at night to the point that I would rather drive on a back country road where there are no cars than cars with lights on at me as I literally can’t see if I see the lights.
I sometimes get a ringing or tingle in my ear or even get to where I feel like if I itch my inner ear, it will stop feeling strange or ringing. It does not happen all of the time, so it can be hard to prevent it from happening before it does.
I try and avoid settings where there is a large group of people as it is very hard for to hear and concentrate on just one conversation as I seem to pick up everything else instead of just focusing on the one conversation.
I have issues with certain smells that I did not have before. I have to watch perfumes, deodorants, candles, air fresheners, soaps, anything that has any scent to it may make me feel a bit nauseated. This is something that I have to do by trial and error as I have no idea what may trigger a reaction and won’t until I come across the scent.
I have always been cold natured but even more so now. When it gets brisk outside or really cold, I have to bundle up even more. If my legs get cold at all, they hurt so bad, so I make sure that I layer up very well when it gets cold out.
I have also developed a sensitivity when it gets extremely hot or humid out. I will swell more so than I used to, so I have to be very careful in warmer weather as well.
Once you know what you are sensitive to, such as sounds, sight, heat, and cold you can adjust things you do every day so that you don’t experience any pain or discomfort. I have had to adjust things as I realize the sensitivity to them. It is not easy going from not worrying about things like this to paying close attention. It can be a full-time job sometimes, but the alternative outweighs having to pay closer attention to what may cause me to be in pain.
Will there be more changes? Yes, I know there will be, and I will take each one on a positive note because once I give into the negative and creep over to the red platform I have let my illness win and control my life. Staying positive lets me win each time.
Always remember to stop, take a breath and be positive!
Aimee Reese is passionate about bringing awareness to others about Fibromyalgia. Aimee has been living with Fibromyalgia for years, but officially diagnosed five years ago. Aimee is the founder of The Green Platform Assistant where she believes “In order for you to grow you have to start with knowing who you are.” Aimee believes by staying positive and on the Green Platform it helps get through the most difficult times when living with an invisible illness. Aimee lives in Kentucky with her husband Eric and two children.
Contact Aimee: aimee@thegreenplatformassistant.com