JTL Lets take the first one:
@8 Hz: 0.000159 (-76.00 dB )
The light of the LED bulb goes to almost 0 brightness (has the amplitude of -76.00 dB ) and stays at almost 0 brightness for 0.000159 seconds at a frequency of 8 Hz( 8 times a second). But because it is a very short period of time it should not cause problems.

The best LED bulbs stay dark for less then 0.00001 seconds at all flicker frequencies.

@guys let me reiterate. There is nothing wrong with you healthwise. You are just able to spot higher frequencies of flicker than most people and that is why you get migraines. For most people to get the same problems that you and I are having you just need a LED bulb and flickers at lower frequencies that can be spoted by most people.

There ARE light fixtures and LED bulbs that will not cause any problems. Also be AWARE that the bad input electricity can make a good flicker free LED bulb flicker and cause you problems.

And just because something is marketed as flicker free it does not make it so. Almost anything that flickers at or above 100 Hz is marketed as flicker free(and that is a low enough frequencie to cause problems).

    The fact that most of the people on this forum DO NOT get migraines dizziness or other problems from incandescents is PROOF that there is NOTHING WRONG HEALTHWISE with none of them.

    Incandescents ARE NOT flicker free. They were supposed to be, because they were supposed to be used with DC electricity. They give light in a sine wave because of the heat inertia. Halogen bulbs have a more harsh flicker than normal incandescents because the wire is not as thick and there is lower inertia. LEDs have no inertia at all and there are few bulb driver design that give good quality light. This is why this forum exists. It would not exist if incandescents were still produced.

      PuffyCloud

      This is why this forum exists. It would not exist if incandescents were still produced.

      Not true, most public lighting is fluorescent or LED, computer screens and similar aren't incandescent/halogen, and so fourth.

      Hiding from bad lighting is good advice. But I never wanted to live in a dark room forever.

          PuffyCloud I agree, it's a shame there's no medication, glasses, or therapy that allows us to tolerate these lights. Wonder if anyone has just gotten used to it through repeated exposure?

              ryans Untrue

              Something something cannabis/sativex cough cough

                  JTL They help even when you are not high?

                  • JTL replied to this.

                      ryans Correct

                      I'm busy working on my own projects right now but email me and I'll give you a rundown.

                        JTL This is a transition period. There are people working on labeling products(LED bulbs, screens etc.) as flicker free.

                        Ofcourse you cannot only live in your own controlled environment. But making sure the devices where you spend more time(work and home) are flicker free will reduce the problems occurrence significantly.

                        Also in the past we used to have mercury lamps for street lighting and CCFL backlights which were not as big of a problem.

                        Also most LED street lights are flicker free mostly because they have enough room to fit big high quality transformers. It's just that the light is too blue, but that won't give you headaches right away, it will just suppress the normal release of melatonin. So the problems will come from not being able to sleep.

                          ryans

                          ryans I agree, it's a shame there's no medication, glasses, or therapy that allows us to tolerate these lights. Wonder if anyone has just gotten used to it through repeated
                          exposure?

                          You cannot get used to these lights/displays. The only solution is to make sure you are surrounded by flicker free lights/displays where you spend most of your time.

                          I am compiling a list of safe LED bulbs and also safe displays/smartphones. It is a work in progress, I will share later.

                              Just a thought. It seems that many of us on here are somewhat tech savvy. This makes me think there are more sufferers out there who do have LED strain from devices, their concerns are dismissed by their doctors, and they just suffer.

                                ryans I noticed that too. Either that, or our sensitivity is connected to the fact that we are tech savvy, which can only happen if you spend a lot of your life in front of the computers. Also, but that is a FAR stretch, a lot of tech savvy people are mildly or full on autistic. I dont think I am, but IRLEN is often connected to autism. I am very good with my social life tho, so, not sure.

                                Does anyone in your family, or related to you, have the same issues? In mine noone. So I am not sure about genetic origin of the problem here.

                                    martin Most people have these problems but you will never become aware of them if for exemple you work mostly outside or in enviroments with a lot of natural light.

                                    My girlfriend for example thought I was a bit crazy and then I put her Galaxy A3 in low brightness, turned of most ambient light and told her to surf the web on her phone for an hour or so. After an hour she got a migraine. Now she understands 🙂

                                    Also if you have a light bulb that you know causes problems you should test it on people. You will notice after a while that they start scratching their eyes etc.

                                      4 days later

                                      JTL The same thing happened to me 10-11 years ago!

                                      • JTL likes this.

                                        martin Irlen is quite literally the sensitivity to certain color wavelengths. I have no idea why the diagnosis is considered "controversial". I think there is something to it, but I haven't been able to find any color-blocking lenses that do the trick yet. Just brightness at 0%, color temperature Warm, and f.lux @ 5000K has been my godsend.

                                        But most importantly, I'm still using a Dell U2410 (LCD). I can't use LEDs at all - I get a sharp headache within minutes that can last for days. Also, if I crank the brightness settings of my LCD up, and change the color temperature to a cooler setting, the symptoms will slowly return (I do this when working on color-sensitive graphics work, and I literally just put up with the pain before reverting back after I'm done).

                                        And most strangely of all, I'm fine with OLED TVs. I heard OLED has a much less pronounced spike of blue light in it though.

                                        Can you see why I'm currently on the blue light sensitivity theory, based on my own personal experience?

                                            MagnuM

                                            MagnuM But most importantly, I'm still using a Dell U2410 (LCD). I can't use LEDs at all - I get a sharp headache within minutes that can last for days. Also, if I crank the brightness settings of my LCD up, and change the color temperature to a cooler setting, the symptoms will slowly return (I do this when working on color-sensitive graphics work, and I literally just put up with the pain before reverting back after I'm done).

                                            LED backlit you mean

                                            MagnuM And most strangely of all, I'm fine with OLED TVs. I heard OLED has a much less pronounced spike of blue light in it though.

                                            OLED refers to the pixel itself being an LED, there is no LCD. Wait for OLED monitors to become commonplace and you should be good 😃

                                                    JTL Do they have any OLED computer monitors yet?

                                                    • JTL replied to this.

                                                        MagnuM Not really. Dell has one for ~$3000 USD but it has some panel quality issues and PWM flicker, among other things.

                                                        I'd wait. If it was perfect I'd buy one now, but nope.

                                                          4 days later

                                                          Anyone have a way easier time in the summer? I don't think it's due to dryness. I run a humidifier in the winter and that helps some, but it's not enough. I think it's due to prolonged darkness in the winter sensitizes your eyes.

                                                          I don't think the sun solves any underlying problem, it just desensitizes your eyes a bit, even when in a dark room. A day out in the sun has always given me some extra leeway in using problematic devices that night.

                                                          This has always struck me as a bit odd because sunlight contains so much blue and uv light. It seems healing, and wearing sunglasses seems to negate this positive effect. I've taken to wearing a baseball cap and only wear sunglasses if there is sharp glare or reflections, like when driving.

                                                            degen Maybe you also spend more time outdoors in the summer, and more time indoors in the winter?

                                                              degen I do not. However sungazing especially later in the day before susnet is a recommended natural way to build tolerance for photophobia. Blue light and UV light are healthy, just as sun in general. They might just not be what you need before sleep according to some studies.
                                                              Sunglasses are a nice fashion accesory, but I think theyre not really essential to life at all. A lot of things like that (protection from sun, cold etc...) just make people weak in the long run in my opinion.
                                                              However, sun has an even spectrum of colors, LEDs do not. Sun also does not flicker. So theres that too.
                                                              I think you can train your body to become stronger to any kind of stressors. However I still have not figured out whether that would be desirable in case of flicker or not. Either we who have this problem are weaker and could use that, or actually more perceptive and others are not.
                                                              Migraines however, are known to be an overly protective reaction to stressors that might not be stressful to most. Similar to allergies.

                                                              What I am trying to do right now is to research migraines to see some natural remedies, training or cures for them, as well as continue to research whats wrong with the tech that gives me the trouble as compared to the one that does not.

                                                              If you feel like researching this more, you can read about Bates method https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bates_method or Meir Schneider. Of course, these things take a lot of self work, instead of prescription and comfort, and might be very individual, so its up to everyone personally to take up such task and see for themselves. It can be bullshit as a lot of things out there, or the bullshit can be companies that make eyewear paying for studies "proving" you need to buy their products.
                                                              Since we have already a good experience here with companies making shit products and making you pay for them, I guess we might be on the same level here.
                                                              I have a general rule for this - whenever someone tells me I can improve my condition by a lot of self work, trouble, discomfort and challenging myself, but it does not have to cost me any money, I believe him more over someone who tries to sell me remedies.

                                                              • JTL replied to this.
                                                                  dev