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Whether a person’s eyes are open or closed.

Distance between the viewer and the light source.

Frequency of the flash (that is, how quickly the light is flashing).

Even in predisposed individuals, many factors must combine to trigger the photosensitive reaction. Not all televisions, video games, computer monitors, and strobe lights trigger seizures.

Some people wonder whether flashing lights on the top of buses or emergency vehicles may trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy too.

Certain visual patterns, especially stripes of contrasting colors.

Natural light, such as sunlight, especially when shimmering off water, flickering through trees or through the slats of Venetian blinds.

Intense strobe lights like visual fire alarms.

Certain video games or TV broadcasts containing rapid flashes or alternating patterns of different colors.

Television screens or computer monitors due to the flicker or rolling images.

Seizures in photosensitive people may be triggered by exposure to some of the following situations: Visually sensitive seizures: An updated review by the Epilepsy Foundation.

(Fisher, R.S., Archarya, J.N., Baumer, F.M., French, J.A., Parisi, P., Solodar, J.H., Szaflarski, J.P., Thio, L.L., Tolchin, B., Wilkins, A.J., & Kasteleijn-Nolst Trenité, D. Read an updated review by experts convened by the Epilepsy Foundation about visually sensitive seizures published in 2022. Many other individuals who are disturbed by light exposure do not develop seizures at all, but have other symptoms, such as headache, nausea, dizziness, and more.

They could only have seizures triggered by certain photic (light) conditions. They may never go on to develop epilepsy with spontaneous seizures. Many people are not aware they are sensitive to flickering lights or to certain kinds of patterns until they have a seizure. It becomes less frequent with age, with relatively few cases in the mid-twenties. Photosensitive epilepsy is more common in children and adolescents, especially those with generalized epilepsy and with certain epilepsy syndromes, such as juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and epilepsy with eyelid myoclonia (Jeavon’s syndrome). This condition is known as photosensitive epilepsy. For about 3% of people with epilepsy, exposure to flashing lights at certain intensities or to certain visual patterns can trigger seizures.

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