fluorescent lights & fatigue, headache, etc?

[crosvs]

Hey everyone-

Got a weird question for you about something with which I've suffered intermitently for years, and was never able to figure out, until now.

It seems that I have a negative reaction to fluorescent lighting. In particular, after 20 minutes or so in a room where most of the illumination is produced by a fluorescent source, my eyes start burning with fatigue, I feel disoriented the way one feels when extremely sleep-deprived, and I often get mild to severe migraine headaches.

I never made the connection to fluorescent lighting until just the other day when I thought I finally found the common denominator between the various locales where I expereince this frustrating effect: libraries; certain school classrooms; office(s) at work; etc.

The one thing all those places share in common is fluorescent lighting. Moreover, I noticed that I was suffering the extreme fatigue even after nights of 8-9 hours of sleep; healthy diet; exercise, etc. There have been times where I even thought the fatigue-induced burning of my eyes was in fact caused by allergies, and have tried eye drops and allergy medication, all to no avail.

Anyway after talking with some friends and doing some Google research, it seems fluorescent lighting could be the problem.

So what's the solution?!

Thanks!

[PersonaNonGrata]

Do you wear prescription glasses or contact lenses?

[crosvs]

nope. in fact i have ridiculously perfect vision. my friends are always shocked at how far away i can read something

[Ishniknork]

I can't provide any references to support this but I have heard fluorescent lighting is hard on the eyes. I think is had to do with a flickering of the bulbs that is not really perceptible to you but your eyes pick up on it and react to it by constantly trying to compensate. Thus the fatigue you're experiencing. I get the same type of eye fatigue under fluorescents, but no headaches.

As for a solution? You might try using one of those small battery powered clip-on book lights for reading at the library and classes. If you're at work in an office try setting up a halogen or incandescent lamp to overpower the fluorescents where you're working.

[Blue Mountain Raider]

Originally Posted by crosvs

nope. in fact i have ridiculously perfect vision. my friends are always shocked at how far away i can read something

do you do anything to keep your vision in good shape? my vision is ok but in 10 or 20 years i might need LASIK, i'm 21. no way im wearing glasses.

[crosvs]

no, i don't do anything special, at least not consciously. but then, i am 28 so ... here's hoping it doesn't start to go downhill in the next few years!!

anyway today was a particularly telling example: this morning when I entered my office I switched off one of the two banks of fluorescent lamps in the ceiling. I felt quite good! I was vaguely aware that fluorescent lights were still in use, but I didn't feel myself getting "disoriented" nor the pending "pre-migraine" sensations that tell you, yup, you better down some advil and a couple red bulls NOW.

But then I finally had a halogen lamp put in my room and switched off all the fluorescents and my day went smoothly!

Until mid-afternoon when I got to sit in with one of the senior partners on two conferences, both of which took place in flurescent-illuminated rooms -- and VERY illuminated, I should add.

Within 30 mins I felt a headache coming on, and before I knew it, the last 3 hours of the day I was in agony.

So I think I've figured out the factors: as long as the fluorescent lighting is not TOO bright, it doesn't seem to bother me too much, especially if there's some non-fluorescent lighting as well. But in a room which would be otherwise pitch-black AND the fluorescent lighting is VERY bright ... that seems to trigger this ridiculously annoying -- and partially disabling as it makes it very hard to think clearly -- effect in me.

It also explains why the symptoms are so intermittent, and why it's been so hard for me to pinpoint during these past few years.

*sigh* that said, it's a TERRIBLY agonizing problem and i'm not sure what to do

[Quicksilver]

Interesting question. See if this helps. http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:...&client=safari Read the comments as well.

[crosvs]

thank you, but i actually already found that as well .......... such a frustrating thing.

today, for example, i was in my room the entire time. used 1/2 bank of fluorescent lamps overhead plus a halogen desk lamp. i was fine.

however, the day began with a 2-hr seminar in a natural sunlight and fluorescent-lamp illuminated conference hall. while not terrible, i was definitely feeling it -- extreme fatigue and burning (as though need to sleep) feeling in my eyes.

but yeah, once i got back to my own office, A-ok.