Can Light Bulbs Stimulate Migraine?
Have you started replacing your old incandescent lightbulbs with those expensive, energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps? They're supposed to save energy, reduce environmental carbon dioxide, and pay for themselves within a year (unless you are clumsy like me and you drop one!)America has been relatively slow to adapt. Kinda reminds me of those telemarketing charities that pester us nightly:
Salesman: Want to buy a box of 10-year lightbulbs and support spotted owl research?
Customer: Mine are still buring bright! Why not call back in 7 or 8 years?
The British government has mandated elimination of conventional lightbulbs by 2011. Wait a minute! Critics claim health concerns related to these new lamps are being overlooked. Specifically, one advocacy group representing migraine sufferers suggests that the new eco-bulbs actually trigger migraine attacks. They are unclear regarding the proposed mechanism: erratic flickering of the bulbs, toxic (visible) wavelengths, or perhaps some combination of effects.
For decades we have known that some folks are physically uncomfortable in environments with exposed fluorescent tube lighting but controlled studies comparing the rates of acute migraine among age-matched population groups have never been performed.
The UK Migraine Action Association has plenty of anecdotal stories from migraine sufferers that link more frequent migraine headaches with use of these high-efficiency lightbulbs.
Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with migraine and a comparable number have evaded diagnosis. Three-fourths of migraine patients report specific 'triggers' that appear to stimulate new attacks. Here's how these triggers break down in decreasing frequency:
- Stress (80%)
- Hormone imbalances
- Hunger (57%)
- Fatigue
- Changes in weather
- Specific aromas/odors (44%)
- Specific foods
- Heat
- Lighting (38%)
- Exercise
- ...even Sexual activity (5%)
It makes little sense to debunk whether or not visible light emitted from a fluorescent lamp causes migraine when we know the same thing can happen to some people who smell pumpkin pie!
If traditional lightbulbs are doomed to extinction then those vulnerable to this migraine 'trigger' need an action plan to protect themselves.
Good news! Migraine researchers know that medications prescribed to prevent acute migraine attacks seem to work best on individuals with known triggers.
Regarding the known relationship between adverse visual stimuli (glare, flickering, harsh light) and migraine, recent research has shown that wearing a mild green-blue spectacle tint greatly improves fluorescent light tolerability. This could be helpful for anyone who finds it difficult to remain in any fluorescent-illuminated area. Hopefully, future advances in compact fluorescent lightbulb design will overcome the problem with flickering, slow warmups, and harsh illumination.
Once they eliminate any migraine hazard they can get to work on how to make them cheaper!
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Technorati Tags: migraine, fluorescent light, environment, health, wellness
54 Comments:
And, don't forget, these new bulbs are also toxic to you and your home if the break. There is mercury in those bulbs. Also, they are not supposed to be disposed of into regular garbage bins. They are supposed to be disposed as a toxic-hazard. Nothing at this time has been addressed publicly.
Please read the label carefully, these bulbs are not to be used in moist conditions such as bathrooms. I had one start smoking and start on fire as I was in the shower. If my daughter hadn't needed something in the bathroom the house would have caught fire. She was able to turn off the power and remove the bulb before any real damage. Advertizers tout the use of the bulbs in places where lights are going to be left on for long periods of time because they are cheaper to run... only if left on, turning on and off regularly costs just as much as a regular bulbs. This was why a bathroom made sense... don't do it.
Also remember that these bulbs cannot be used in any fixture connected to a dimmer switch.
They don't work very well in cold weather.
I have one in my room and I have had twice the frequency of migraines since the light bulb has been switched. I never knew there was a connection but I am changing my light bulb today.
LED incandescent replacement bulbs offer the same, if not better, energy efficiency of compact fluorescents, and are less prone to the flicker spoken of here if chosen properly.
LED replacement bulbs are also less toxic to the environment when disposed of and are expected to outlive compact fluorescents.
I believe this is where we're going with lighting. However, it will take a while to get the cost down on LED replacements unless the public expresses interest / demand. Currently, inexpensive low-end replacement bulbs can be found for around $15US (google search "led lighting" for suppliers).
The reactive move to compact fluorescents is sad since LED technology is superior to CF with regard to health and environmental concerns.
The best thing we can do here is express these concerns more, and spread awareness of safer technologies like LED lighting.
CFB are a very good alternative to traditional bulbs. Yes LEDS are even better but they are even more expensive and in the interum the amount of electricty they use compared to traditional bulbs is well worth it.
In regards to the issue of murcurey, the amount is actually tiny. Look at it this way. Studies have been done that show the amount of murcurey contained in a CFB is less than 1/10 (I think that was the number) than the amoutn of murcuery but out by burning fossile fuels to create the extra energy that traditional bulbs use.
Compact flourescents can be used in moist environments. Sounds like the person who commented below just had a defective bulb. Both bulb types have a sealed system so that does not make any sense. Compact flourescents are even safer than incandescents because they do not heat up. 90% of an incandescents energy is wasted through heat. Not only does a cool bulb prevent burns, it prevents fires when a lamp turns over. It also takes less to cool the house because of much less heat. Cold weather performance is fine, but they takes around 20 seconds to get to full light strength. Compact flourescents technology has improved dramatically as well. You can't fight it, just take a peek under your hotel lampshade sometimes. They as smart cost cutters have already made the switch.
LED light bulbs are totally safe, no biohazard, splatter-proof, dimmable, and VERY energy efficient. The retail prices are totally outrageous considering wholesale costs are about $3 each, but minimum order is 1000 from the manufacturer --look on Alibaba.com. Why aren't people & city governments pooling money to buy big LED orders?? These would save soooo much energy & money for city governments. Also, I have CF bulbs in the bathroom, NO PROBLEMS. I want to put on makeup and duplicate the light at work--see what my coworkers see--before they see it. The CF bulbs are just like incandescent, they shouldn't be splattered with wet stuff, and CF bulbs definitely don't last in cold weather--but new ones are coming out that are better.Also we have them in various bedrooms...I really don't notice a difference.
Perhaps posting a link or additional information on your sources of information could help with the credibility of this post. It would just be nice to ensure that we are not sacrificing environmental responsibility for potentially unproven or shaky research. I am personally not happy that this is being promoted with such emphasis on webmd
are you guys nuts? LEDS right now are limited use.they dont produce much light.and without filters, they produce about as nice a light as fluorescents. im sorry but we need better tech to replace fluorescents and I scarcely see the point in forcing people. how about more solar panels or something!
If these light bulbs cause migraine headaches due to the flickering of light. How does this affect those with head injuries. I have a vestibular injury from brain stem injury in an auto accident. I have light sensitivity. This is a great concern.
I noticed an odor that smelled like hot wiring early one morning in my apartment building. I notified my landlord, he found the smell coming from a fluorescent bulb in the hallway, which had burned out a few days earlier, and was now overheating. Besides making your eyes oversensitive to sunlight, I have questions about the safety of fluorescent bulbs
I'm skeptical of this article and it smacks of alarmism. I have CF bulbs all over my house and they work extremely well. No headaches either...
I have replaced all the bulbs in my house with the new CF bulbs and haven't had any problems either... no headaches.
But I'm not bothered by this article because it clearly says that it's only a concern for people who suffer from migraines. Which I don't.
These bulbs work, but do flicker and do not give off much light as other bulbs. I have some of these bulbs in my home, but just in my basement, garage and other areas. For reading, I still use a standard bulb. Bathrooms too. The bulbs have a long way to go before they can be called complete replacement bulbs. For stores and public areas, they are fine as they are on all the time and can warm up. When you enter a room in the dark, turn them on, leave a minute later, they are very poor.
I read an article recently that said continuous exposure to the low level of mercury in the new flourescent bulbs can be dangerous and because I read and watch TV next to the lamp, I removed the bulb and put back in a regular incandescent bulb. How can a person find out if it is really harmful to be exposed to the bulbs with mercury over a period of time?
Someone asked for a link to get more info on CFLs... here is one site.
Government Energy Star website.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls
Read everything, make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom and read up on how to properly dispose of CFL bulbs and what to do if one breaks in your home.
Specifics on cleaning up a broken CFL bulb from the EPA.
http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm#flourescent
An item that scares me is how little the CFL manufactures provide on the packaging as how to properly handle, dispose, and clean up a broken CFL - most just send you to a website. Do all households have computers with internet connections?
Utility Companies across the U.S. pass these things out to low income households like passing out candy to children.
People need to research and get more informed on their own... and not expect and wait for the government authorities and companies to be 100% upfront and honest from the get go.
(soapbox moment - sorry)
My two cents; yes these bulbs contain mercury, but many things you use do too (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/mercury/con-prod.htm) and people aren't dropping dead because of it. More to the point you would have to be in an enclosed (no ventilation) room with multiple broken CF's to have a chance to be affected by the mercury. As to the people who are afraid of catching mercury like a cold, the bulbs give off light, not mercury, the bulbs are completely sealed, as was mentioned above. Another person asked how they would find out if it was dangerous, besides me telling them and asking the other people here. You can call the EPA, someone from the industy, or google it (when using the internet always be wary of false sites).
I tried some CFL bulbs and they did not last any time at all
I have replaced almost all my standard bulbs with these CF bulbs and the work well. Not perfect but well. One thing is a issue is that they do not work well outside. They do not like it really damp and cold like a barn or Garage or open area outside. They will quit working in a short amount of time.
We've been using them for about 4 years. They work fairly well. When you fist turn them on in a cold room in the morning they take a few minutes for the gases to heat up fully to give you 100% full illumination. For the most part I'm pleased with them over standard bulbs and haven't ever suffered any migraine headaches from them.
Last week I was in a Friday's restaurant where they had replaced some of the overhead lights with CF bulbs, including over the booth I was sitting in. Within 5-8 minutes, just long enough to have ordered, I started getting extreme pain in my eyes and a severe headach. We ended up having one of the managers unscrew the bulb because the restaurant was busy and there was no where else to sit.
I've used CF bulbs for a few years with only a couple of issues. I find a mix of incandescent and CF bulbs works best.
I have a 6 light fixture (in the bathrooms) and before using CFs I would removed half of the incandescent bulbs. It was too hot.
The CF bulbs are much cooler, but take a while to reach full brightness. So, the incandescents are instant on and then CFs finish lighting the room with out the heat.
Also, you can't use most CF bulbs with motion detecting light switches.
The article does not state that the bulbs cause migraines, it states that in migraine sufferers CF bulbs make migraines more frequent. I've suffered from migraines since I was a child, and I've personally found that the CF bulbs do increase the frequency of my headaches.
Also, I've heard of recent studies linking CFs to Autism. They are said to make Autistic attacks more violent. This also affects me personally, because my brother suffers from severe Autism.
These facts combined with the reports of overheating, fire, increased sensitivity to sunlight, and that they are considered toxic hazards should be enough to outweigh the moronic decision to legally make these our standard light bulbs. After all there is still no concrete evidence that Global Warming even exists, yet even the possibilities of the above-mentioned dangers should be enough to ban these light bulbs.
Let's hope someone finds a better solution before 2012.
I have been using cfb's for YEARS and have never had a problem with them, there are NO "regular" bulbs in my house at all!!
the newer CFB's ARE dimmable, but you have to look for them. I will really be glad however, when the price of LED bulbs goes down, when that happens, they will replace my current CFB's
While living in CA had some of these bulbs. One started to smoke which scared me from using them again!
I don't think I use any less light than the average person in my home, but I replaced 90% of my lights with CF energy efficient bulbs a year ago and haven't noticed any improvement in my energy bills. If, indeed, the savings only comes when you use these for 'always-on' fixtures then they have little to no benefit for me. I think they have actually had a negative impact on my spending because they were so much more expensive than traditional bulbs that they will never pay for themselves, nor will they help reduce energy costs. Bring on the LEDs!!
I have some I bought at Benny's a few years ago that work on dimmer switches. I could not find them anywhere else.
Another government mandate - great. So what am I suppose to do with the box full of replacement incandescent bulbs I have on my closet shelf? Bust 'em up and send them to the land fill then write the money spent on them off as a loss? My spouse is driving me nuts replacing all of our bulbs with these things - they don't give off as much light, the three way bulbs are worthless and my dimmers don't work - all in the name of saving how much energy a day? Just my two cents.
I was excited to see this post as this is a conserning issue to me. I have enviromental illness which also goes by MCS. I am very allergic to chemicals. We bought some of these bulbs and they were the GE brand. The second I opened them up I knew I was going to have problems. The fumes from them were horrible. I went ahead and put them up into fixtures but had to take them out as in minutes they caused my body to start aching all over. The Fumes were very toxic. We are all natural here due to my illness and all though I want so much to help our enviroment, they need to go back to the drawing board on this one, or more people are going to have more than an environment problem.
60% of lupus patients are uv light sensitive with effects ranging from skin rashes and seizures to triggering flares resulting in major organ damage.
LED are the only bulbs so far that do not emit UV.
Think about the possibility of wearing sun screen all the time to protect the skin. Anyone considered that we slather ourselves in sunblock to protect our skin from UV. Now we bring UV into our house?
LEDs have a way to go in terms of attractive light and actual illumination of anything but themselves. I'm not looking up links for you, but google lupus with uv light. The connection is very well documented. Fran
LED Bulbs hopefully will be a much better choice if price comes down. I have never used them so not sure if they suffer from same issues as CF'f. Or even what the equivalent wattage vs incandescent wattage is. I have Compact fluorescents currently 99.9% but I also have an automated house so when the light is off every few seconds the sensing pulse goes and a stupid things flick on for a split second. even before automation it would happen a couple times a night. Does not happen with standard bulbs. also in cold weather it takes a while for CF's to get going also in really cold weather they may not light at all. I had to replace my outside lights with incandescent so they would work properly. CF's can be dimmed but only if they specifically say they can, read the side of the bulb housing, the ones I have say DO NOT DIM may cause fire. thats nice accidentally hit the dim button on the remote and my house can burn down. and I didn't even know for awhile Lucky I never tried to dim them. Break them and you get mercury in your house. They are riddled with issues and the Gov wants to force us to use them, its ridiculous.
These bulbs, whether in a long strip in the ceiling or a configuation that I can use with a standard fiction make my eyes hurt. That gives me a headache.
I don't have migraines and I know it's the bulbs. All I have to do to make my eyes stop hurting, and by extension my head, is turn off the fluorescent bulb and turn on a normal light. Or turn off the lights, open a door and let in the sunlight.
I understand the desire to make things like this available to those that wish to use it, but to MANDATE it makes me angry.
now I know why my migraines have been increasing......couldn't figure it out why I was getting more of them lately. Makes sense to me. I suffer from them terribly and have been getting them almost daily sense I put these bulbs in my house.
I have been a migraine headache sufferer for many years. My employer first started using these lightbulbs back in the 1990's and I immediately felt the difference and the frequency of my headaches increased by 50%. I take daily medication now to prevent them from happening so often, and have another medication for when I do get one. The worst position I had at work was my last (I retired this year after 20 years)--the walls were painted all white with no pictures or decorating of any kind. With the overkill of fluorescent lighting, I was pretty much in agony almost every day. I developed "dry eye" and could not read or watch tv when I returned home at night because my eyes stung so much. I believe my eyes have been damaged permanently too.
I have had migraines for years and do have some distinct triggers, however CFE bulbs are not one. I recently switched all the lamps and ceiling fixtures in my apartment to CFE's. I found 8-packs of much smaller CFE bulbs than I had seen previously - and for an excellent price - at Costco. I have not noticed any increase in the frequency of migraines in the time since I started switching over. When I can find and afford the LED bulbs - which cost pennies a year to run - I will gradually replace the CFE's I am using now. They make good sense both environmentally and economically, in spite of the initial cost of purchase.
I get eye strain from the LED bulbs but that is probably because I need a lot of light to read with and can't find one equal to my regular 150 watt. Does anyone know what I can do to get more light to read with. I am trying to do my part to save energy but do I have to give up reading to do it?
Learn the spell of the word before you typed. It is not murcurey. It is mercury Damy!
YA KNOW. MY B/F AND I WERE LIVING WITH HIS PARENTS AND I AHD MIGRAINES EVERYDAY THEY USED THOSE BULBS. BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE A PLACE OF OUR OWN THE MIGRAINES HAVE CEASED QUIET A BIT. INFO WAS VERY HELPFUL AND TY FOR POSTING IT.. SHERRI IN LOUISIANA
In my opinion: I agree with anon. posted at 11:31
I have 2 grandchildren with autisum
and the bulbs did seem to have a
role in more frequent "panic" attacks .........
we had gone months without any and upon using the bulbs - we then began having several episodes a week;
since we stopped using the bulbs we have now decreased the "panic" attacks after a couple of weeks of non use to zero again for 2 months .........
again this is just my opinion
there is no scientific proof of this ....just our experience ..
also mercury does cause brain damage................
As someone who has had migraines for 25 years, I found that these bulbs do indeed trigger attacks for me, much to my surprise. I have no other triggers, like chocolate or cheese, strong light, etc., except alcohol, which I've had to forgo for years. I moved the bulbs in my house in rooms I spend little time in.
I've been using these bulbs for about a year, without any problem. In fact they are significantly brighter. As for anyone who made comments about the mercury being a problem, it doesn't affect you at all unless you break them and absorb the contents. I have actually been a migraine sufferer my whole life, but don't have migraines now, although this may have been because I moved to a different climate.
Either way 1/2 the stuff being said against them is bull. I've never had one do anything out of the ordinary, and my house is 90% these bulbs. If fact not even one has burned out as of yet, and the first one I installed as an experiment 1 1/2 years ago is still running strong.
The new ones are dimmer friendly, and I have several of these bulbs outside in lighting fixtures, and they are very bright, even though it is in the negative temperatures. They do get dimmer the colder it gets, but we are talking serious cold here to make a noticeable difference.
As for LEDs, they are more efficient than these bulbs, but they are also way more expensive. Do you really want to pay 30$ for a light bulb, or buy 30 power saving bulbs for near the same price.
These bulbs are getting cheaper, and they are working out the bugs in them (like dim start, and flicker). Also a significantly smaller amount of mercury is used in the new ones as opposed to the first generation.
Even if you don't like these bulbs, more efficient traditional bulbs, and cheaper LED bulbs will become available in time. So calm down people, and research before you post.
Just a couple of points. First, many basic CF coils are meant neither for outdoor use, nor for use in enclosures (like ceiling fan globes or even sconces). Though there are more expensive ones meant for use in these areas. I learned this when I decided to actually read the instructions after one started to smoke.
As for the Governmental policy, discourage high consumption by trying to pass some progressive consumption schedule, fine; Compulsion, not fine.
LEDs may be a major contributer to the future of lighting, but I believe that quantum dots may hold the key to bridging the spectrum gap between LEDs and incandescent bulbs. See
http://www.physorg.com/news7421.html
to learn about this experiment turned breakthrough.
Basically they are nano-crystals which can be chemically produced in large batches under standard conditions; can be made to emit almost any color of light, including a warm white. Most importantly they can be powered by either electricity or light.
Paint a blue LED bulb with white Q.Dots, and you convert an intense blue beam into a soft white glow. Or mix them with in a conductive substrate, use as paint, and insulate. just apply current for true ambient lighting.
This is all interesting. I've been using fluorescent bulbs for 8-10 years. I enjoy not having to replace them frequently. I have also not had any problems with headaches. Perhaps, since it's winter, the heat in your house is taking moisture out of the air & you could use a vaporizer. Also, I haven't had any smoke with use & I do use them everywhere.
My biggest concern would have to be with the mercury in a broken bulb. I broke one last year in my basement that my kids play in. I had no idea they contained mercury and only cleaned up the glass. How much mercury has my family been exposed to over the past year? Theres no air circulation except for the furnace blowing all the air throughout the entire house. How big of a threat is this? How many people have never broken a lightbulb?
I'll use them if they will save me $, but I'm not going to save these things to recycle. They're going right in the garbage. Dilution is the solution to pollution.
I think the Government should stay out of our lives and let us use what ever lights we want. I hate CF bulbs, and I hate regular florecents too. If I am paying the bill to progress energy I get to choose what bulbs I use. Not some tree hugging Liberal Congrass person who thinks they know bwtter than me.
Show me a house with 100% florescent lighting and I'll show you a house with all the warmth of a mortuary. Create tax incentives for corporations and individuals who go florescent but don't tell me what kind of bulb I can put in my bedroom.
I use a combination of incandescent and florescent lighting in my kitchen, laundry room and garage, and a combination of halogen and incandescent elsewhere. I had dimmers installed on every wall switch and lamp in my house and I make a conscious effort to conserve energy. I'm happy to do it. But I take umbrage at some hare-brained congressman suggesting I'm not capable of making such decisions for myself.
My home is my sanctuary and I want it to be bathed in soft, cozy light. I want my children to look healthy, my guests to feel warmly welcomed and above all, I don't want to look like a cadaver in the bedroom.
I may just have to make myself up under florescent lighting and pay Lloyd Levine a visit.
Everyone needs to be made aware now of the dangers in breaking one of these bulbs - due to the Mercury hazzard. NBC Nightly News did a piece on it the day after one was broken at my daughter's home and it had been cleaned up like a regular bulb - spreading Mercury all over. Socks that it broke on were washed with other clothes and now poison control says not to use the washer!!!!! There is an 11 step procedure to be followed when one breaks - no one knows this as few read the fine print that I guess is on the package. This danger should be widely advertised. Have my grand children been exposed? What now?
I think im going blind.....i work in flourescent lights at the most 20 hours a week.....im 19 and i have these blurry dots during the day but there MUCH more visible at night...i cant see in dim lighting...i always have to have a light on....or i cant see....it worries me and i dont know if this will ever go away..any one have these problems....i hate flourescent lights.....al gores a bum.
i wrote the above post....also ill prob never find this site again ..so email me elizabeth11788@aol.com........this eye problem is very madenning!
Apart from possible health problems which frankly seemed far-fetched!
We keep posting the following: People do not seem to realise that so called 'wasted electricity' creates warmth!
Here we use electricity most months of the year for home heating.
Especially cool/cold evenings when lights tend to be on anyway.
Any 'wasted' heat from the use of 'old fashioned' incandescent bulbs, which cost about 25 cents each btw, merely helps to warm the house! So the electric heaters in the rooms in use don't cut in as often.
We have a bathroom for example which when in use has six 40 watt bulbs, the wasted heat from those 240 watts of non CFL bulbs, means that the 500 watt bathroom electric heater rarely cuts in at all!
Similarly our computer/bedroom is heated almost entirely by two computers running almost continuously and one desk lamp at night.
In other words if one uses electricity for heating anyway, almost every month of the year, from October through July it doesn't matter how it becomes household warmth!
Using CFLs outside for lights that are on for lengthy periods where the heat would be wasted does make sense. But that seems to be a use where CFLs do not perform well in cold climates?
One big electricity 'waster' is a domestic dryer, which chucks damp heated air outside, to avoid mildew/mould and dampness problems.
Use a clothesline as much as possible when weather allows; even cold weather.
Also CFLs are said to not work a well where they are frequently switch on/off such as stairways, cupboards, occasional visits to a shed etc. Also they don't work (or don't work well) in outside lights equipped with sensors that come on when someone comes close to them!
All in all not convinced yet that there is an overall saving and in view of the ten times cost of CFLs, that they are regarded as 'Hazardous waste' by garbage collectors etc. not yet in the mood to give up the incandescents. We have a neighbour who is heavily into CFLs, three of which are outside and on all night. Since within their house they use electrcity for heating there has been effectively no decrease in their elctricity consumption.
I have been experiencing my migraines 100% more since using these energy saver light bulbs. Just this past Sunday, I was down all day, (they usually last only a couple house). Yesterday I switched back to regular (Reveal) and anticapiting a great reduction in my headaches.
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