Tips and tricks for fluorescent light sensitivity?

May 27, 2024 11:58 AM

I get headaches, fatigue, anxiety, and general misery from fluorescent or bright LED lights. What can I do to mitigate this?

Has anyone tried fluorescent light blocking glasses that actually work? I did try a pair of those pink ones, and they helped a tiny bit, but I ended up returning them because they didn’t help $200 worth.

I’m looking for tips more on increasing my ability to handle them than blocking them out (I already use sunglasses and a hat with a brim when possible) or avoiding them (although if you have tips on what to say to request workplace accommodations, that could be helpful).

posted by wheatlets to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

Response by poster: Actually, I’m open to tips on avoiding them. If you think it might be something I haven’t heard already. I was just trying to avoid comments like “just don’t be around fluorescent lights if they bother you” or something equally unhelpful.
posted by wheatlets at 12:02 PM on May 27

if there's a light that's light you prefer, carry it with you. for work, begin by being considerate in your approach. Emily Dickinson's sensitivity to light is well-known. your coworkers may have similar situations. if they prefer florescent/led, maybe a dimmer?
posted by HearHere at 1:08 PM on May 27

Try amber sunglasses that block most if not all blues. Look for a pair that fits closely to your face so there's no glare from around the lenses. (You could start your search by looking for "driving sunglasses" which are designed to cut glare. Serengeti Drivers are the canonical brand but $$$ you'll be looking for something similar but in a manageable price range.)
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:25 PM on May 27

Your problem could be subliminal flicker.

The peripheral parts of your retinas are much more likely to 'notice' flicker because of shorter latency on the part of ganglion cells there.

So I think you could give pinhole glasses a try in order to reduce the level of light falling on the peripheries of your retinas.
posted by jamjam at 2:33 PM on May 27

I'm also sensitive to those lights, and all the research I've read says there's no way to acclimate your brain to sensory overstimulation. You can either block the lights or remove them, that's all.
posted by lloquat at 4:32 PM on May 27 [2 favorites]

In my experience nothing works except for avoidance of the lights. I have found that "migraines" is the magic word to get me accommodations. Whereas terms like "anxiety" or "fatigue" aren't taken as seriously (if at all). Hopefully your employer will accommodate you in a meaningful way.
posted by Stoof at 7:21 AM on May 28 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I don’t believe that there’s no way. I don’t think it’s necessarily easy or something everyone is capable of, but I’m thinking along the lines of yogis who meditate to the point of not feeling pain or Wim Hof style stuff. It’s probably not easy to find, but the human body is capable of so much that I bet there’s something.
posted by wheatlets at 2:20 PM on May 28

Avoidance obviously works best, but I have found that decreasing overstimulation across the board can increase my ability to temporarily handle the strain of fluorescent lights. If being under them is unavoidable and blocking is not possible or not enough, then reducing other bad stimuli (loud noises, irritating fabric, emotional complexity, uncomfortable chairs, etc) can help me tough it out a little longer. This works in the moment, but it also works in advance, by being super gentle with myself and my environment in the days leading up to it.

This strategy doesn’t, however, actually make it easy or comfortable, and it doesn’t last forever. It just gives me a little more time before the symptoms get really bad. And it still requires a recovery period of sensory gentleness afterward.
posted by CtrlAltDelete at 6:31 PM on May 28

Fluorescent lighting is often found in the same stale-air indoor environment that fosters dry eye. You could try over-the-counter artificial tears (I was told to look for preservative-free drops), and some of the routines recommended for dry eye relief:

- Heated eye masks (mine has a USB cord, three heat settings, and a timer; after using, you'd keep your eyes closed and wipe your lids and lashes with a warm, damp cloth)
- tea-tree oil eye wipes (should also be preservative-free; Optase is one brand, & there are store dupes)
- this specific blinking exercise. The exercise is more deliberate than just remembering to blink frequently; I'm terribly light-sensitive, too, and until I was tested by a dry-eye specialist ophthalmologist, I didn't know my blink quality is "poor" — as in, piss-poor at making upper lid reliably meet lower lid.

I've listed what's worked well for me. I don't do all the exercises and procedures in the doctor's brief (some are performed hourly), but even quarter-assing it has improved matters. Since that appointment, I've been in offices with ghoulish, flickering overhead lights and sometimes the headache, nausea, and/or fatigue are absent. (I've even stepped outside at midday without sunglasses - the wide-brimmed hat the only shading - for minutes at a time!) FWIW, the eye-specialist referral was made by my rheumatologist, as dry eye is common in autoimmune inconveniences. Since light sensitivity is worsened by regular dry-eye issues, further fractionated-assing of protocols can help if arid eyes are contributing to your troubles.
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:17 PM on May 28

I get migraines from fluorescent lights (and computer screens). I am obsessed with my Avlulux glasses. When my mom had surgery and I spent 4 days sitting with her in the hospital, I had no problem thanks to my Avlulux.

Also if you are having issues at your workstation, you can try requesting an ADA accommodation to get the bulbs taken out above your desk. You need your doctor to write you a letter and then you go to HR and tell them what you need. You're looking for a "reasonable accommodation." You can learn more at JAN. AskaManager has some info too.
posted by radioamy at 4:03 PM on May 30 [2 favorites]