Energy-Saving Bulbs Causing Migraine Headaches
Compact fluorescent bulbs, the twisted looking replacement lights that use as little as one fourth the power of their common incandescent counterparts (and last much longer), are being adopted worldwide in an effort to reduce energy consumption. They are even becoming mandatory in some countries -- a little troubling according to the Daily Mail, which reports that health experts in the U.K. say the green bulbs can cause migraine headaches or other disconcerting symptoms in many people.The bulbs work in the same way as the long, traditional fluorescent tube lights seen in many commercial establishments. This means that they can produce light that subtly flickers, unnoticeable by many, but a big problem for others, especially epileptics, who can suffer from seizures under fluorescent bulbs. According the U.K.'s Migraine Action Association and other health organizations, the lights also cause headaches, as well as nausea, dizziness, and even physical pain for those suffering with lupus, according to the study.
In both the United States and the United Kingdom, traditional incandescent bulbs are set to be completely phased out by 2012. Surely those with medical conditions can be given exemptions easily enough, but if they can't simply walk into a store and buy a traditional bulb, just how many companies will continue manufacturing them and how much will they cost? Will traditional bulb clubs be the marijuana-buying clubs of the 21st century?
Such recent health concerns around energy-saving fluorescent bulbs might be another reason to push research into production of LED-based lighting options, which are even more efficient than CFL lighting, and even more durable, with a single bulb potentially never burning out. Such LED-based bulbs are available now, but at per-bulb costs that dwarf those of the relatively expensive CFL bulbs.
From The Daily Mail
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 19)
laprns said 10:07AM on 1-02-2008
The high mercury content is dangerous as well. These can not be disposed of safely-landfills are not equipped to deal with mercury any longer.
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Don said 10:09AM on 1-02-2008
More unintended consequences of the greenies or is this an intended consequence?
You also just can't throw them out when they burn out either. They have to be taken to a waste disposal terminal because of the mercury used in them. More tax money to be spent to hire people to do those jobs.
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Carol said 10:11AM on 1-02-2008
How should these be disposed of?
Thanks, Carol in NC
www.Nikken.com/Riddick
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Vincent said 10:20AM on 1-02-2008
This is the problem in America. We rush into what "sounds" good all the time without doing any research. It is the reason why we have endless pages of laws too vast to ever read. We are drowning in regulation and may never get out. Ron Paul in 08, do the research.
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stew said 10:20AM on 1-02-2008
will these new bulbs ever be available in 3 way types?
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Tom said 10:23AM on 1-02-2008
The answer is LED light bulbs. They don't flicker, they do not contain mercury, thay are 100% eco friendly, They consume very little enery, produce no heat and last 50,000 hours!
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UKBlueCat said 10:23AM on 1-02-2008
I tried using the "eco" lights and found out that they do cause migraines! I didn't figure it out until after a couple of them, but I did notice the flickering especially when reading!
Guess I'll have to hang out in the dark when these are the only bulbs available! Maybe I can start a stockpile of the incandescents!
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jen said 10:25AM on 1-02-2008
The same goes for the elongated flourescent bulbs used in most major stores. Meaning, people with flourescent sensitivity can't just go into a story these days anyway.
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natosha said 10:28AM on 1-02-2008
you know after reading this I can believe it. my entire home is done in the eco lights. and I suffer from a long exsisting migraine condition. the thing is though, ive been having them more often. and the lamp on my nightstand has one, and it has no lamp shade, and I get them the most in the middle of the night when I get up to get a drink or go potty, about 10 times a night, as I am also preggers. soooo the headaches could be cause of the pregnancy as any woman who has been preggers knows that headaches are a side effect due to swelling of all the membranes in your face and head. but I do find it strange it hurts the most when I use that lamp. two and two has probably been put together thanks to this artical. time to buy a new lamps shade or put a reg bulb in it while i still can lol
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blablabla said 10:29AM on 1-02-2008
The new generation of LED bulbs look very promising.(ccrane.com) They are much better than
when they initially arrived on the market.
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Marita said 10:30AM on 1-02-2008
We better work on this problem...we must start to do something agressively to curve our carbon footprint...and these lightbulbs are a good start..as for the mercury...it is minor and they must get deposed of properly...just like every battery ...they do not go in the trash can...yet worldwide 100's have hit the garbage can as we read and write...instead of being deposed of properly at a recylce center like Radio Shack Office Depot etc etc...we need information..lots of information.. education...lots of education...and we need inventors to rally to this problem we have on our hands.
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RE said 10:36AM on 1-02-2008
I don't like the new eco lights. It's not a natural light and I will never use them. Do some research, people who work under these florescent lights have a higher incidence of skin cancer. When available, give me some good old sunlight. It's good for the skin, and gives you your vitanin D for the day.
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steve said 10:37AM on 1-02-2008
We now use the CFL bulbs throughout our house and we really like them. No headache problems, in fact, fewer "headache" problems since we do not have to change out bulbs so frequently. We have 8 people in our house so the old bulbs were being used and changed often, now we do not have to mess with changing bulbs and we are noticing a few dollars a month less on the electric bill over the last year, which is nice, as well. The 3 way bulbs are available, just not in every store, they are expensive but try a Menards store, our local menards has 3 way bulbs all over the place.
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ted zielinski said 10:38AM on 1-02-2008
to stew cfl lights are made in 3 way
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John said 10:40AM on 1-02-2008
Let's send all Gor-ites to low-lying, secluded islands with no electricity or running water and let them wait for the glaciers to thaw and sea levels to rise as they have for thousands of years!
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kevinbeair said 10:41AM on 1-02-2008
If the goal of healthcare is to make people more healthly, then they should have to see a doctor less. So why then do the healthcare profits and the amount of care per person continue to rise? Because this is good business. They purposely make people sick to increase profits, how many people do you think pay a doctor for a $150 appointment complaining of migraines when the cause is a flurlesant bulb? And ofcourse they aren't going to tell you to get away from the bulbs, they are going to prescribe you a drug and make more money and make you sicker.
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bubble said 10:41AM on 1-02-2008
It you have never witnessed an epiletic seizure touched off by flickering light, you might think this is stupid. However, having had a friend of my son have a seizure from a blinking flashlight, I would no longer take this lightlyl
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Kim said 10:42AM on 1-02-2008
Stew they are available in 3 way in some green catalogues but they are expendsive.... I checked them out already..
I have a problem with the fact that some of my lamps have the shades that clip on to the bulbs.. I tried puting the "harps" on only to find out that the "screw" in the base of the lamp is not long enough to allow for the harp to go on. Sooo if I am forced to buy these new bulbs I will have to go out and buy new lamps as well!
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matt said 10:43AM on 1-02-2008
ask what ever happened to Sulfur Bulb technology. very low heat. very natural light spectrum, very low energy consumption. one or 2 bulbs can light an entire home through the use of fiber optics. Where is the sulfur bulb now? the US gov't bought the patent immediately after it was developed and the Sulfur Bulb simply dissapeared.
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Camille said 10:44AM on 1-02-2008
It's about time someone combats this craze! I HATE fluorescent bulbs! The flickering makes me tense & irritable. My husband put them in lamps I use for reading & I immediately took them out & replaced them with incandescent bulbs. He can use them for lighting his workshop & the hallway, but that's all. I guess I'll have to stockpile incandescent bulbs...
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