Blue-Tinted Contacts Cut Sunflower Syndrome Seizures in Teen
Harper Nickerson, a 14-year-old diagnosed with sunflower syndrome—an extremely rare photosensitive epilepsy—is described as having hundreds of hand-waving seizures driven by bright light. She began wearing blue-tinted contacts that block specific light wavelengths, which researchers say can reduce daily hand-waving episodes by about 73%. Since starting the lenses at age 9, she has not waved her hands in roughly two years and can spend more time outdoors, though the lenses cost about $1,400 per year and aren’t covered by insurance. Many patients continue anti-seizure medications, and doctors don’t yet know whether sunflower syndrome is outgrown with age.
