Harrison, I have been through a very similar situation with my consultant opthamolgist. The bottom line is they say I have blepheritis aka dry eyes and the only solution is to clear this up. On my last visit (after following their course of treatment including eye bag and massage etc) they said OK your eyes are virtually completely clear. They have no idea why I'm still photosensitive or suffering from headaches. They really struggled to get their heads round any casual link between eye pain and new forms of LED devices or energy saving lighting. Unfortunately doctors have not yet caught up with the issue as it these new forms of tech are only 5 or so years old and it will take time for the scientific and broader medical community to catch up with this.
My next option to to see a neurologist as they might some insights but I doubt it.
Full explanation of my problems outlined in full below but just wanted to set out a few leading theories on causes of headaches and eyestrain
- High blue light generated by LED and twisty CFL (which GE and other are phasing out now anyway) is causing retinal damage and potentially disrupting our brains. I can send you links to research papers supporting this theory.
- Flicker from modern lighting which triggers adverse reaction from a percentage of the population but the majority do not perceive.
- Most people on here are talking about the PMV issue but I must say I have yet to get my head round what exactly this is all about. It seems this is something that is purely confined to smartphones and monitor based devices right? If that's the case then I don't think this is my solution as I am badly affected by LED home/office lighting. Not just kit with displays.
CFL/LED/Halogen problems
For over a year I have experienced a range of medical problems related to my exposure to all new light bulbs. My symptoms include strong headaches/migraines and severe eye pain with sensations akin to cutting or strong pressure.
Unfortunately consistent exposure to LED has left me vulnerable to other forms of lighting such as CFL and Halogen which I no longer find tolerable. It could simply be a cumulative impact of exposure to hostile lighting for several years but I can longer use a smart phone (previously I used an iphone, Blackberry etc without any problems) or any other LED based devices. At present, I only feel comfortable using (the now phased out) incandescent lighting and I think the roll-out of LED was the catalyst for my decline as I was definitely able to handle Halogen (still available on the market) before LED became commonplace.
Increasingly I am encountering these LED bulbs in most homes and businesses. As the bulbs are now widely used and as my reaction to these bulbs is extremely severe, I am faced with clear limitations on my daily activities. For example the overhead lights in most shops cause me to experience some of the above symptoms within seconds. There are numerous places I avoid altogether due to the eye pain caused by the presence of these new bulbs. At work all co-workers are now using LED monitors and many parts of the office use LED lighting. Unfortunately this makes it very difficult for me to work and I am reaching crisis point as I am working in an environment with almost intolerable lighting.
As well as this forum there are various groups of people across the world complaining about light sensitivity. Are most of you only prone to pain from LED backlight devices or do you also suffer from LED street lights and home lighting as well?