Light sensitivity to fluorescent lights

[ConZinger]

I just started working fulltime in an office two weeks ago and am having increasing problems with my vision and headaches, which I feel is related to the frequency of the fluorescent lighting. Since I've never spent so long under fluorescent lighting, this is a new experience for me. I have spells where my eyes go strange, not fuzzy because I can still focus, but strange because I can't see clearly, like a skewed TV screen in a way. Difficult to describe. After the vision disruption, which in some spells lasts about 20 minutes, I have a headache which can last for hours. When the spell passes, I'm normal again with no vision problems.

I need to know how I can protect myself from this negative lighting environment so I can keep working to pay my keep.

I hear that 25% of the population suffers with sensitivity to fluorescent lighting, which is way too many for any healthy society. I think it's important that we keep incandescent lighting around for those who are made ill by fluorescent lighting.

Blessings,
Zing.


This discussion is related to Light sensitivity to fluorescent lights?.

[mmarien]

I am in total agreement with leamca's post...

I have been undergoing extensive testing for 2 weeks now to find the cause of a 20 day headache with 5 migraine flair ups with nothing found in any test results.  After being off work for 5 days, new medications prescribed for relief of the pain, I returned to work yesterday.  Just 2 hours in, my headache returned!  And, no I don't have a stressful job like you may have just been wondering.

I had my Carotid Arteries checked today by way of ultrasound and am currently awaiting for the results to come back.  The technician did tell me that my brain is getting blood flow to both sides and all looked good to her but will need to wait for Cardiologist findings to rule out any plaque build up that could be causing pressure in the vessels.

After returning from the Dr's. today, I started researching flourescent light sensitivity, because I had told him the lights at work were recently changed and seemed much brighter now and when he turned the light off in the office, my squinting was much less than when they were on.  What I found today was that a study was done last year that found people suffer more illnesses when exposed to flourescent lighting than incandescent lighting.  Even the "mini" bulbs can put off what is referred to by scientists as "dirty" energy... almost as much as the "tube" type flourescent bulbs.  When compared side by side the "mini" flourescent gave off close to 4 times the "dirty" energy that incandescent lighting put off. The GS units (dirty energy) was only 65 from the old style incandescent bulbs compared to 298 GS units from the Mini flourescent.  When "dirty" energy was removed from the homes of people suffering illnesses caused or triggered by it, they showed signs of improvement, almost instantly!  I myself am going back to incandescent lighting today because I feel the savings from the new bulbs could never equal the savings I will be making to my health by switching back!

It's sad that Doctors from other parts of the World are taking this problem, which affects so many individuals, more seriously than most in our own country and then chalking up complaints to vision problems, rather than reading the conclusive results found in the reports of many qualified Scientists from around the World.  Patient complaints made to one's Physician should never be viewed so lightly and given a standard answer with no real explanation or research put into it first.

Just a quick Question for the Docs... Do you always give out the same answers for this type of question no matter how it's worded?  I've seen several posts on this site but worded so differently and they are always given the same answer... "go see your eye doctor".
Well, I did that 6 months ago, got new glasses costing me a small fortune, and now my Dr is telling me that my glasses are probably causing yet more strain on my eyes which in turn isn't helping my migraines... Go Figure!

[ashpash327]

I have a problem that is similar, but different. I've had it since grade school, and it always happened in classrooms. Now that I work under numerous fluorescent lights (I can see about 6 from my desk) it happens every day. My problem is this: under fluorescent light I don't squint, but instead the light I perceive gets blindingly bright. So bright that I can barely focus on things and people around me. It comes and goes in waves. The light around me is not changing, but the light I perceive varies in intensity. Does anyone else have this problem?? Also, since I've started working under these lights, my eyes twitch a lot more.

[Vavoom]

I'm now 37 years old - and after about 13 yrs of the unexplained misery and uncoutable tests for awful headaches & even worse horrible dizziness & blurred vision, etc - I was recently FINALLY just diagnosed with MIGRAINE-INDUCED-VERTIGO.  And guess what... an ENT dr. immediately noticed that the flourescent lighting in his office was bothering me, and found out that it's a TRIGGER for my headaches, dizzy spells, vision problems, etc!  

I had been suffering terribly at work (an office setting) day after day & year after year, and always HATED my overhead flourescent lights but I couldn't ever explain why... I just knew they bothered me!  So I climbed up on my desk & I unscrewed several of the bulbs around my office to reduce the brightness, and then brought in a couple of desk lamps to sit around. This did make a difference but my doctor told me I should not use flourescent lights AT ALL if possible since we know it triggers my symptoms, so I turned off my overhead lights and used strictly lamps with regular bulbs which made a huge difference!

I since then started a new position at work, and I don't have the option to turn OFF lights anymore, so I had to go on preventative migraine/vertigo medication... and I've noticed now that the lighting is really bothering my eyes daily. I purchased a "MONITOR HOOD" for my computer (cost around $30). Its not just one of the screen covers. It helps with privacy but also does wonders for the light/glare because it goes around the monitor almost like a box that surrounds the screen which blocks the lights from above, and since it sticks out on the monitor forward, it also stops the glare on my keyboard and on my desk too right in front of my PC which is nice!

Unfortunately, there are WAY too many flourescent lights in my space (all around my area not just over my head) so my eyes are irritated & feel dry and burny all the time!! I feel like I need to wear sunglasses at work!  But I do customer service so I can't wear sunglasses all day, and even if I were allowed I wouldn't want to have the conversation of WHY with everyone that I deal with all day long!  My vision is perfect, so I don't wear prescription glasses, and therefore I can't just get them "tinted" to help this either...

I decided I'm going to call an eye doctor which I had seen a couple of years ago (when I was in search of answers about my headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, etc) and see if he can recommend anything to help my eye strain, burning, irritation, etc from these stupid, bright, ridiculously overused flourescent lights!!!!!!!  

All I can say now is - Thank God that I got lucky and ONE doctor out of sooooooooo many that I've seen over the years - randomly noticed that the flourescent lighting bothered me, and found some answers for me, otherwise I'd still be suffering much worse than this!!

I do know how HORRIBLE it is to have a doctor (several) not take you seriously, and not truly LISTEN, and also not do everything possible to help find answers. So I know I was finally blessed to come across a Doctor who did that for me! I wish all doctors would realize that although we're all human, we're all different in some ways and symptoms are REAL and we need answers and relief!

[kjelltp]

Yes, most lights are not harmful to A HEALTHY EYE.  I have eye disease, and my eyesight deteriorates when exposed to bright light, PERMANENTLY.  

[alicat52]

Here Here yes I agree some are sensitive to light Im classic example I had chronic asthenopia in simple terms eye strain when the wrong glasses prescription was given to me for one year I wore these I was also using a laptop it got to the point the eye strain was that bad it dimmed my vision i was on a laptop it freaked me out to the point I had something terrible wrong with me spotlights were around me cause I worked from home.  No doctor found out what was wrong with me I went to numerous specialists I also had awful neck pain it caused an horrendous eye type migraine with muscle twitches and I was sensitive to light until the strain finally came off you need to protect your eyes and you put your health in professionals hand to give you the best care in my situation it didn't happen so I do agree computer use with glare from screen and lighting above and other lighting can affect certain people we don't all come under certain brackets some have good eyes others poor some have other issues like tiredness jobs that involve driving which can contribute to discomfort but I believe overuse of the eyes computers anything which strains the eyes etc or just out the blue lighting does affect eyes how come we cant stare at the sun long hours its bright ok said my peice alison UK

[realmaverick]

I can't step in to a super market with flo lighting without my eyes stinging like crazy and then my skin becomes uncomfortable and finally I become drained.

It's been this way ever since my teens and perhaps before but because Dr's told me no such condition existed, I just accepted my eyes were weird. But it turns out I'm not alone.

But while Dr's continue to poo-poo the claims, we're no closer to finding answers.

I've had eye checks and no abnormalities have been found yet still the issue continues.