Light Blindness

Light blindness is a health condition caused by frequent abuse / misuse of Sinnicaar Drul (a medicine developed by the Ulmaatis to help with pain relief). Though the Ulmaatis have done their best to ensure that the medicine as safe as possible, there are some drawbacks to an incomplete set of data and having to modify the medicine for multiple species. As such, Terrans and L’Oris may develop light blindness if they do not strictly adhere to the guidelines for using Sinnicaar Drul.

Causes

The condition occurs in Terrans and L'Oris who abuse or misuse Sinnicaar Drul. The threshold at which an individual is considered to be misusing Sinnicaar Drul is:

• Terrans: greater than 18ml a day consumed over a period of 14 days
• L'Oris: greater than 25ml a day consumed over a period of 10 days

Light blindness can be a reoccurring condition.

Individuals who have had light blindness previously are more likely to redevelop symptoms if they start to retake Sinnicaar Drul. Symptoms tend to be worse with every successive diagnosis, and the probability of light blindness becoming permanent also increases with each diagnosis.

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Sinnicaar Drul, though widely used as a pain relief medication, can cause a negative reaction in retina of the eye, vastly increasing the light sensitivity to dangerous levels. As such, and following the regulations composed by the Intergalactic Union of Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare (IUPH), we offer the following guidance to those concerned about light blindness.

Terrans

Have you done either of the following:

• Taken more than the recommended dosage (> 18ml daily) of Sinnicaar Drul?
• Taken Sinnicaar Drul for a period of more than 14 days?

If you have answered yes to either of these questions, regardless of whether or not you are experiencing symptoms of light blindness, then you immediately STOP taking Sinnicaar Drul and avoid all sources of light for the next 22 hours.

L’Oris

Have you done either of the following:

• Taken more than the recommended dosage (> 25ml daily) of Sinnicaar Drul?
• Taken Sinnicaar Drul for a period of more than 10 days?

If you have answered yes to either of these questions, then you should immediately seek out medical attention at your local walk in health centre (or equivalent). Do not wait for symptoms to appear before you act. Do not continue taking Sinnicaar Drul.

Remember, the best way to avoid light blindness is to ensure that you stick to the intake guidelines for Sinnicaar Drul. For more information on Sinnicaar Drul, you can download the medicines guidance leaflet from your local health information service.

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Symptoms

Onset

Initial onset of light blindness can be hard to spot.

Within the first few hours (around 5 hours for Terrans, 2-3 hours for L’Oris) the light sensitivity of the retinas will start to increase. To the affected individual, they may see their vision seems slightly brighter than normal, although this can be hard to notice (especially in brightly lit areas) because the initial increase is very minor.

People around the affected individual may see them squinting more often than usual.

At this point, swift and decisive action can prevent symptoms from worsening.

Rapid development

Should the affected individual continue to use Sinnicaar Drul, the light sensitivity of their retinas will continue to be negatively impacted, and they will soon see a rapid, massive change in their vision - much like turning a device’s screen brightness from low to high.

Individuals may also find that their symptoms worsen if they continue to remain in spaces with a light source (natural or artificial), even if they stop taking Sinnicaar Drul. This is because, with the increased light sensitivity, the sources of light present continue to irritate and potentially damage the retinas further.

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Permanent damage

If an individual does not seek or follow the proper treatment, then they are susceptible to permanent light blindness.

Permanent light blindness is when the retinas become damaged beyond repair. This displays as a ‘white cloud’ - white, milky spots across an individual’s vision which prevents them from seeing.

At first, this is exactly what they will be. Simply a handful of these ‘white clouds’ across their vision. As more damage occurs, more ‘white clouds’ appear, or ones already present begin to expand, until eventually the individual’s entire vision is covered, rendering them unable to see.

Professionals refer to these symptoms as ‘Partial Clouding’ and ‘Complete Clouding’. Partial clouding can be managed with medicine, but complete clouding cannot be treated at this point in time.

In the case of partial clouding, affected individuals will need to wear specially designed glasses that filter light levels whenever they enter a location with a light source in order to prevent their current symptoms from worsening to complete clouding.

Terrans and L’Oris - Who Gets It Worse?

Though Terrans contract light blindness at lower dosages, they are more resistant to the white cloud or a permanent light blindness. L’Oris develop the major symptoms much quicker after the initial onset. On top of this, most L’Oris who contract light blindness a second time will develop permanent light blindness without swift intervention and treatment.

Of course, that doesn’t mean everything is better for Terrans. They may be more resistant to the developing symptoms of light blindness, but they are more susceptible to becoming addicted to Sinnicaar Drul, which often leads to a downward spiral. Addiction to Sinnicaar Drul is the main cause of permanent light blindness in Terrans - it is rare for normal dosage regimes to cause this.

Stages and Development Times

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Diagnosis

Initially, diagnosis can be difficult because it relies on a) the affected individual noticing that something has changed with their vision or b) the affected individual realising and admitting to the fact that they have been misusing Sinnicaar Drul. It is recommended that when prescribed Sinnicaar Drul, a Terran or L’Or informs a friend so that the friend can keep an eye on them and ensure nothing outwardly changes (i.e. the individual starts squinting at light sources they normal wouldn’t squint at).

If a L’Or is concerned about light blindness, it is advised that they seek an official diagnosis immediately.

Official diagnosis involves an eye scan. The scanning process starts with complete darkness, gradually increasing the light levels bit by bit and collecting a full set of data. Individuals with light blindness will show up with abnormally high levels of light sensitivity on the scanner, regardless of the stage of light blindness they have.

Treatment

Guidance for Terrans

It is recommended that, for Terrans suffering from Stage 1 or Stage 2 light blindness, they remain in a dark space (preferably in complete darkness, if possible) for 22 hours. They should avoid any areas filled with light (artificial or otherwise) unless it is absolutely necessary for them to go out in it. ‘Light-out Shades’ can be prescribed to the individual and worn in such cases, but SHOULD NOT be relied on as a preventative measure.

The individual should STOP taking Sinnicaar Drul immediately.

After 22 hours, the individual should begin to slowly expose themselves to light sources WITHOUT the use of the ‘Light-out Shades’. It is recommended that they start with half hour periods of exposure with 2 hour breaks, before incrementally increasing the time of exposure. (This varies on a case by case basis - the individual should speak with a medical professional for a personalised exposure plan.)

A Terran suffering from Stage 3 light blindness can be prescribed Glareven to help alleviate the partial clouding symptoms. They should take Glareven prior to being exposed to a light source. Glareven will work for up to 3 hours to prevent the spread of the clouding - it should not be taken more than twice a day. It is also recommended that they continue to wear the ‘Light-out Shades’.

Guidance for L’Oris

It is important that action is swift for a L’Or suffering from light blindness. If the individual has Stage 1 or Stage 2 light blindness, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible. They MUST STOP taking Sinnicaar Drul immediately.

During these symptomatic periods, they will be prescribed an 8 day regime of Zavanac (taken once daily) and should remain in a dark space for the first 4 days of treatment. Light sources should be avoided at all costs, though the L’Or in question will also be prescribed ‘Light-out Shades’ as an additional preventative measure. L’Or should not spend more than 1 hour exposed to light over a 24 hour period during those first 4 days of treatment.

After the first 4 days, they will be given a personalised exposure plan to help them get used to light sources again. Should symptoms persist or worsen again, a further 6 day regime of Zavanac can be prescribed.

A L’Or suffering from Stage 3 light blindness will be prescribed Zavanac Landra (2 oral tablets to be taken prior to each exposure period) to help alleviate the clouding symptoms. Zavanac Landra will work for up to 5 hours to prevent the spread of clouding - it should not be taken more than once a day. The affected individual should also wear ‘Light-out Shades’ whenever they need to expose themselves to light.

Rarity

Common

Affected Species

• Terran
• L'Or

You don’t get it do you? You keep doing this, using that Sinnicaar to ease your pain, and you’re gonna end up losing everything. Your job, your friends, your life. You wanna see a white light forever, spending every moment wondering if you’ve finally passed away and haven’t realised it? Then be my guest.