Lights and headaches... does it happen to you? Why?

greenLED

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Last night I gave myself a quasi-migraine immediately after I took a flash from an HID light. I'm calling it a quasi-migraine because it shared some of the symptoms, but it wasn't as debilitating as a "normal" migraine. It was a complete accident, BTW, I quit trying to shine lights onto myself shortly after joining CPF and getting some real lights. Anyway, I got a bad headache when a similar thing hapenned to me with an L4 a couple of weeks ago. (So much for trying not to shine lights onto myself, right?) :stupid:

Does anybody know whether there's a "light intensity threshold" beyond which a light can cause headaches or trigger migraines? Also, I get headaches from using regular blue LED's at close range, so color may play a role? Any physiological insights on how headaches are triggered by lights?

I'm interested in hearing if other lights trigger the same effect on people, and if somebody knows what the mechanism is behind this.

:thanks:

PS. Migraines aside, HID lights are COOOOOOL!
 
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nc987

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Well certain colors can induce physical and pyschological changes in people. I dont think thats what is happening here. Just seeing the color green increases histamine production in the body, helps to alleviate sinus problems and allergies. Certain combinations of strobing lights and different wavelengths can induce seizures so i imagine lights could also induce a headache. I dont know if whats happening with you is direct evidence of this, but i imagine its possible.
 

TooManyGizmos

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:awman:.......... sorry bout your headache.



Bright light makes me SNEEZE ...... how wierd is that ?



but a long headache would be much worse


:sssh:
 

IsaacHayes

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I've heard of simalar complaints from people about white leds, and blue leds. For me, it doesn't bother me a bit. I can have a room lit up by blue light and just be fine. Only side affect is it keeps me more awake and less tired/sleepy as if a red or icandecent light was on. Same thing I guess I prefer white led light over icandecent or warm tinted leds as I can see better contrast, the colors pop more for me, but most people say amber/warm light makes contrast better and outdoor colors better. For me I think my brain filters out those colors and ignores them since you see that all the time, so when white LED light hits it, it's out of the norm and makes me take notice more. Everyone is different.

If that HID light bothers you some more, feel free it send it my way. :D
 

bwaites

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Blue light, including bright sunlight, causes cluster headaches for me.

I am extremely sensitive to blue light, and thus wear amber lenses when outdoors unless it is very cloudy.

The bluer tinted LED's cause me problems, even.

I tend much more to the whiter side. (Guess that's why an such and incan guy!)

Bill
 

cave dave

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I used to get headaches while caving when I tried to use the early LED lights like the Matrix and the original Tikka. I attributed it to the very blue tint of those early LEDs. (when people refer to Arcs as angry blue, they have no idea what they are talking about)

However it may have been caused by the very low amount of light (eye strain) or perhaps dehydration. Also the PWM (pulse width modulation) of some lights seem to give me a headache.
 

IsaacHayes

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I've had migranes, and while having one, light is not soothing. But never had one triggered by light that I know of. I don';t have them anymore now that I take magnesium suppliments.
 

Chris201W

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Sometimes when I'm reading with a 5mm LED that has a rather blue center, I get nauseous/headache. The bluish tint is fine except when I'm shining it at a flat white piece of paper. I guess the blue is more pronounced that way.
 

snakebite

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light itself does not cause me to feel sick or cause headache but monitors and fluorescent lights that flicker or strobe due to low refresh,on monitors or bad bulbs,ballast, or just being cold in the warehouse give me terrible headaches.
i had a bad tube over the bench a while back that was strobing madly that i couldnt reach without a ladder that i busted with a broomhandle.it was that or go home!
at the computer store i work for the monitors that are left at 60hz refresh get my immediate attention.i set them at least to 75hz.60 beats with magnetic ballasted lights and makes it 10x worse!
 

Pila_Power

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My mother gets headaches from bright lights, even in the daylight. Car headlights, the sun, reflections off cars etc are all bad. She suffers poor thing.

I have a co-worker who also gets the sneezes in the sun... strange but it happens!! :)
 

Lee1959

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I have very light sensitive eyes, I do see in the dark better than most people I know, but bright light I can hardly see in, and sometimes do get headaches yes. I also have the photosensitive thing that effects some people where brightlight makes me sneeze, it is not as uncommon as I had once thought though, many people have it.
 

PhantomZ

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i didnt get a headache but felt alittle nauseated. i think it was the L2 that i was using since that was my first LED light. after some time, i got use to the colour of LEDs and i'm leaning to be more of an LED guy then incans~

i tend to sneeze as well when i look into the sun for a split second~
 
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xochi

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I bought a blue led innova X5 and within 5 minutes of using it, nausea and headache, every time. I had no idea blue leds could do that until I saw something in another thread.
 

greenLED

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Thank you all for your comments. I had reported (and heard) before about headaches and blue LED's, so I'm not surprised. I am surprised (and somewhat amused, if I may use the term) by people sneezing under the sun. :p I've never really felt nauseated with bright lights (aside from when I get a light-triggered migraine).

I guess I hadn't paid much attention before, but I do get headaches under certain fluorescent lights, and get lightheaded in some department stores. That's why I wear sunglasses when we go to the mall. :geek: I had attributed it to certain refresh rates (guess what? some monitors give me headaches too...) :green: but never thought it could be too much light. Dang! I guess there is such a thing as "too bright". Larry---> :nana:

Amanichen, thank you for that link, very informative. All these are very interesting facts. I encourage more people to share their experiences with different colored LED's, bright lights/type of light, refresh rates. Maybe we can find a pattern.

Here's a tidbit in the Wiki article that may explain the lightheadedness:
Production of glare is a de facto indication of over-illumination, since that causes optical processing conflicts and confusion to the brain in translating optical inputs.
I'm still curious is to what the mechanism in our brain is that triggers headches/migraines.
 
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Ray_of_Light

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The blue and the ultraviolet light causes the bulb of the eye to fluoresce. It is an effect very similar to fingernails and teeths when exposed to blue or UV, but is more intense.
The internal fluorescence of the eye' bulb is what causes incoherent contractions of the various small muscles, which are connected with eye operation for focusing and light adjusting. This cause discomfort and migraine.

A very similar effect happens with the "beam scattering" from a laser source.

Anthony
 
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