Hello Ali,
Thank you for your Ask A Health Professional question. I am so sorry to hear about your experiences with sensory changes post-stroke.
We would recommend that you speak to your GP about your experiences. They may suggest an occupational therapist and/or further discussions with your neurologist for further direction and to assist with strategies in managing your sensory overload.
Occupational therapists can help people make changes to their environment to minimize the frequency or severity of sensory overload. They can also create a sensory "diet" tailored to the individual's needs. A sensory diet is a set of activities that are tailored to a person's sensory needs and are used to help them regulate their sensory system. This can help a person stay focused, organized, and calm throughout the day or when faced with specific scenarios. A sensory diet is usually created by an occupational therapist who can assess the person's sensory preferences and challenges. Other treatments include coping mechanisms, and accommodations at work if required. Sensory integration challenges that retrain the brain to respond differently to stimulation from the senses may also be used.
Speak to your GP as you may be eligible for the Chronic Disease GP Management Plan, which entitles you to a number of subsidized sessions. There will still be an out-of-pocket cost associated with the session, but it will be less than paying for a private service.
Although we have some general information regarding vision and senses here on EnableMe, your experience of sensory overload may be a bit different.
You may be interested in the following posts regarding sensory overload:
- https://young.strokefoundation.org.au/experiences/sensory-overload
- https://enableme.org.au/community/questions/how-do-i-find-some-relief-for-this-ear-a
Generally, some strategies in managing shopping with your sensory overload may be to shop online, visit shops at times when they do not have a lot of traffic, or visit shops like Woolworths who have a Quiet Hour between 10:30am and 11:30am on Tuesdays: https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/au/en/media/news-archive/2019/woolworths-rolls-out-quiet-hour-to-select-stores-across-australia.html
Other strategies include:
- allow extra time to process instructions or conversation
- try ear plugs or noise-cancelling headphones to help with sound sensitivities
- creating a card to share with people that explain what you are experiencing. This may allow for others to understand how to assist, or encourage patience when conversing.
I hope this has been helpful for you, and that others may be able to share advice on dealing with similar situations.
Please do not hesitate to contact StrokeLine if you need any further support or information, at 1800 787 653 or strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au. We are available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm AEST.
Kind Regards,
Karina
Hi Ali, I had a similar experience that lasted for 9 months after my stroke.
I didn’t fell comfortable in shopping centres because of sensory overload and balance issues.
So my wife who was a psychologist suggested I gradually acclimatise at the supermarket about half a kilometre away.
So I started off with 5 minute exposure at the supermarket with my wife, then up to 15 minutes.
Then I could go by myself, and built up gradually to half an hour.
After 9 months acclimatising I felt comfortable.
Hope this helps.
Ian.
Hi Ali,
Here are more comments from Stroke Foundation Facebook:
Hi Ali,
Have you had a Neuro-Optometry assessment? After stroke, some people can have difficulties with the visual stimulation in environments such as those you describe. Sometimes, correctly prescribed lenses can help you with light sensitivity, eye alignment and eye tracking to improve certain symptoms. It takes many different types of professionals to help recover your ability to function in challenging environments. Hope that helps!
Another suggestion of what Ali could consider… Have a sensory assessment done by an Occupational Therapist. It will give more detailed insight into the sensory challenges and suggest some strategies.
An assessment by a neuropsychologist may also suggest strategies.
Have you tried loops. They are earplugs that drown out the noise. They worked for me. You can return if they aren’t what you want.
It's a difficult think to cope with it prepare for, however when this has happened to me I find breathing techniques help, practice some breathing techniques to help calm you down and focus your attention on breathing. Avoiding busy places isn't always possible and we can become overloaded anywhere but hopefully we can always try and control our breathing.
Same here. Meditation helps me to focus on positives to relieve stress. I get dizzy spells when I can’t sleep. I suffer from insomnia.
Sensory overload is my enemy. Before heading out tot he shops I work out where I need to go. I do what I consider to be the 'harder' shopping first then have a coffee break before the next bit. I always go with someone else so I know they can step in if it becomes too much for me. I have asked shops to turn their music down whilst I'm there and most are more than happy to do so (they can hear my speech is affected). AS others have mentioned Loop earplugs can be helpful, sometimes I'll wear sunglasses inside and I carry a Sunflower lanyard in my bag so I can put it on if needed.
I really struggle also and recently tried Loop Engage Plus earplugs and are good so far.
if you're not getting enough vitamin D, you may suffer from dizziness, headaches, and low energy and fatigue. I take Vitamin D 50000, once a week with food. Nearly 2 months now.