Sunshine headaches are definitely an issue in Arizona, says Allison Wooten, OD, owner of four practices in Scottsdale. “It’s been frustrating not having a solution for my patients who suffer from migraine and light sensitivity,” she says. When she first heard about Avulux Migraine and Light Sensitivity Lenses, she was skeptical. Avulux optical technology filters blue, amber, and red light, while letting soothing green light in. These lenses are the only clinically proven lenses that precisely filter light to help people living with migraine.
But she’s part of the Opti-Port alliance, and her colleagues were talking about how effective the lenses are. “Plus, the cost of entry is so low that I decided to try them,” she says.
She knew that the demand was there. Some of her close friends and family members suffer from migraine, and she hears complaints about migraine and light sensitivity commonly. Up to 60% of migraine attacks are triggered by light. If these lenses worked as well as her professional colleagues were saying, she would be able to provide her patients with relief from often debilitating migraine symptoms.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), migraine ranks among the top 20 most disabling medical conditions, with a significant impact on quality of life and productivity. Migraine is three times more common in women than men.
ASKING PATIENTS ABOUT SYMPTOMS
For these reasons, eye care professionals are uniquely positioned to address the intersection of migraine and light sensitivity in their patient population. Questions about light sensitivity, headaches, and migraine have long been on Dr. Wooten’s intake forms. “I had been asking about headaches to see if there were focusing or alignment issues, but I didn’t have any solutions for patients whose light sensitivity triggered migraine attacks,” she says.
Now that she has an option they can try, it’s a more robust discussion. The technicians in all four of her locations are very good about starting the conversation. “They will ask patients about headaches and light sensitivity and say, ‘You should talk to the doctor about Avulux lenses,’” she says.
Then she can ask the questions that help her determine what factors contribute to the patient’s symptoms. If eye strain is related to dryness, for example, she’ll recommend treatments for that. But if she thinks Avulux lenses can help, “I tell them I think this is worth trying.”
Patients can try sample glasses in the practice, and many experience a difference almost immediately. In addition, Avulux offers a guarantee: if the patient finds that the lenses aren’t right for them, they can return them within 90 days of the original order date and after at least two weeks of wear. This gives patients the confidence to buy Avulux at the consult, knowing that returns are hassle-free.
PATIENTS EXPRESS RELIEF
The experience with her first two patients convinced her to keep presenting the option. Her first patient was a grad student who was struggling with the demand of intensive reading assignments with raging headaches. “She had to stop looking at her computer often because she was in so much pain,” says Dr. Wooten. The lenses made a dramatic difference, and the patient was so grateful. With her second patient, someone who had complicated medical conditions, Dr. Wooten recalls, “I wasn’t sure it would help her, but she came back and said, ‘These are so nice. It’s like a hug for the eyes.’”
Dr. Wooten keeps her presentation in the exam room fairly simple, emphasizing the patient satisfaction guarantee. Unlike pharmaceuticals, there are no side effects from these lenses. The price is often a small premium over their current lenses, but if it works for them, the value is evident. “If they think of the days off from work or other medications or treatments that they try to keep their migraine symptoms to a minimum, this is well worth the price,” she says.
Avulux has provided excellent support, says Dr. Wooten. Avulux coached the team and opticians so that they could explain the benefits to patients. The company’s marketing director had Dr. Wooten’s office locations included in the doctor finder on the directory immediately, and she’s receiving calls from people who are curious or heard about lenses from friends.
Dr. Wooten says that it makes sense that these lenses are part of the toolkit now. “This is primary care optometry. We ask questions and determine what patients’ symptoms and conditions are, and we recommend the most appropriate therapies for them.”
See more articles on WO about Avulux here.
