Health in using flashlights

Hi people, what are the effects of using flashlights on our health in general? I'm in a job that uses flashlights a lot recently and found that there are times that I have got a headache or just a dull pain in my head when I'm around lights in general. I'm fine in complete darkness and low light but not when it's well-lit or bright.


Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums

The closest thing to what you describe that I have heard involves the effects on some people of PWM intensity modulation in some LED lights.
But without any residual effects when not using the lights.
Some medical conditions that cause headaches are also associated with photosensitivity.

Why is it that you think that flashlight use may be the cause of your low grade headaches?

I agree with inetdog. PWM stands for Pulse Width Modulation. The LED is turned on and off very quickly; that produces some flickering, in some lights, and some people are very sensitive to it. Typically, though it is more pronounced at LOW Levels of light, ( the opposite of what you describe for your symptoms). Years ago, I recall reading that some people have problems with florescent lighting. I don't recall if it was due to flickering, or color temperature. Without white light balance, photos taken in florescent lighting may have a greenish hue, or a pinkish/tangerine hue, depending upon the phosphors in the tube. I believe the solution was to change to "full spectrum" lighting.

IF... nothing has changed, except that you now use flashlights often at work, and you can assert that this is what brought on your photo-sensitivity. Let me propose this.

When in bright lighting, whether it be sunlight, or artificial, your iris will "stop down" to reduce the amount of light that hits the retina. The iris closes with muscular contraction. Perhaps it is getting too much exercise. OTOH, perhaps the type of beam of your flashlight is the problem.

A floody beam is typically better for close up work, if you are using a light with a tight hot spot, up close, there may be too much glare for your eye to compensate. You may do better with a more floody light, or with a more warm color temperature light.

Here is a good read! http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...t-is-it-How-does-it-work-and-how-to-detect-it

see your eye doctor, it is not the lights, it is your eyes, do you take any medications? cuz it may also be a side effect.

I think I can relate to what you are saying.

As a camper, I can use my lights for hours at a time, in pitch black darkness, mostly for close task work, and I find using bright modes with high lux hotspots really annoying. For me, it's the extreme contrast and my eyes constantly trying to adjust between ~70% of my field of view (pitch black), and ~5% of high lux hotspot (very bright). Another good example of this is watching TV in a pitch black room vs a room with reasonable background lighting - which is more comfortable? Not an issue for shorter periods, but it gets old fast and I can see how it might develop headaches over long periods of use.

You might want to consider well-spaced multi-mode or infinitely variable lights with a floodier beam and see if that helps. Allowing my eyes to dark-adapt, using lower modes to illuminate my subjects just marginally above ambient lighting, and having a broader lower-lux hotspot has made long-term flashlight use much more comfortable for my eyes, not to mention allowing me to see better outside of my light's beam and my batteries last ridiculously long.

I may be on the extreme end here on CPF but I found my sweet spot to be 0.3-0.5 lumens and 3-5 lumens which I use ~45/45% of the time. I use "bright" moonlight modes as my general purpose "low" for indoors and most close task work with my hands, and 3-5 lms as my "medium" for non-technical outdoor walking - like dog walking. Course, I also enjoy my (400-800 lm) momentary max blasts, but that's reserved for distance viewing and showing off .

In general I find flash light users suffer from the cold and wear Anoraks.

I agree with an eye doctor appointment. However, there are some things you can check between now and your appointment.

1. Change in hours
2. Change in allergies
3. Change in environment (Which could lead to sensitivities)
4. It's cold/flu season

Very few people stay on the same hours in the same place and start using flashlights suddenly. It's usually a swap to night shift, or a change to the back spaces in a building that require flashlight use. These hours and places are dustier or harder on the eyes.

Finally, your flashlight's beam may be annoying. Even PWM that is almost ok (very difficult to see) can create eyestrain without being an obvious source of the problem. Good luck!

I find that situations with "high-contrast" light give me headaches as well. The further the light source is from my eyes the easier it is on my eyes. I will say that I've never gotten a headache while using a flashlight. It's generally from looking directly into a lit screen in a dark area.

Some people are sensitive to bright lights and agree with seeing an optician ,other options if you dont wear glasses at present ,are a type that alter in sun light(or bright light) by darkening. Also what type of flashlight are you using,if its a very cool white and too bright this could also potentially cause head aches. Maybe a warmer tint(if not already) and not too high output(100lm or so) so it allows your eyes to adjust rather than pitch black then wham 1000lm of cool 6500k light...............just thoughts

Other option would be a head lamp,again warmer tint or neutral and floody so no concentrated light that can dazzle.

Same thing happened to me.....

With one of the original iPads, thing felt like it was trying to suck my brain out through my eyes.

Im not saying it was PWM, but there was definitely something with that screen that was different that had a tremendous effect on me.

I stare at any screen 10 hours a day, not a hiccup, but that one iPad.......

I found that when I was using a cool white light, even if it was floody, on a surface that was moderately reflective I would find myself squinting. This would eventually give me a headache. I switched to a warmer tinted light and went to the eye doctor, they both helped.

What type of job do you have and what flashlights are being used. Need more info, or you got us guessing. Speaking as a flashaholic here.

Bill

It's not very healthy for your wallet to be around flashlights all the time.

Me+Light=Addiction said:

It's not very healthy for your wallet to be around flashlights all the time.

Click to expand...

+1 :laughing:

@norm :laughing:

Using my flashlight at night in the woods is good for my ankles... I can spot and avoid holes and roots and whatnot!