After installing a new wide strip of bright blue LEDs, everything looks magical. But soon, you might feel dizzy, and a quick question pops inside your head “Can LED lights cause headaches?
No, LED lights do not cause headaches and migraines. However, LEDs with a high proportion of bright blue light may cause discomfort in people with light sensitivity (photosensitivity). These blue light rays, which have a shorter wavelength, may ignite sharp pain in the eyes and head, further leading to minor headaches.
So if you are photosensitive, should you wrap up those dazzling LEDs and throw them in the attic? Absolutely not!
This guide will further explore the truth about LED lights, their link to headache and migraine symptoms, and how you can use LEDs safely without feeling dizziness, fatigue, eyestrain, or migraine. Let’s hop in!
Can You Be Sensitive To LED Lights?
It’s becoming a trend to decorate rooms with colorful LED bulbs. Undoubtedly, LED lights look elegant, illuminating the room, but blue LED lights secretly harm your eyes. Not everyone feels comfortable in the presence of bright LED lights due to their light sensitivity.
Some people have unique light sensitivity issues. They are sensitive to high-energy LED lights and may suffer from headache and migraine symptoms, depression, and eye strain upon excessive exposure. If you think LED lights make me feel sick, you might have light sensitivity migraines due to my blue LED lightbulbs.
LED Light Sensitivity Symptoms (Photophobia)
Can LED lights cause dizziness? Yes! Along with various other photophobia. If you have LED light sensitivity, you might experience the following symptoms:
- Eye strain and headaches
- Painful migraines
- Sleep disturbances
- Insomnia
- Dizziness
- Weak eyesight
- Eye and retinal damage
- Melatonin suppression
- Depression
- Disturbed biorhythms
- Optic tumors.
Can LED Strip Lights Cause Headaches?
LED lights causing headache and discomfort is a common concern these days. But there is no evidence of LED lights causing headaches and migraines. Since LEDs are energy efficient, they generally don’t cause health complications.
LEDs emit less heat and UV rays, so there’s a minimal carbon footprint. Only individuals with exceptional cases (i.e., light sensitivity) may get headaches and other photophobic symptoms due to excessive exposure to specific types of LEDs — Blue lights.
Blue LED lights: The Only LED Light You Should Be Concerned About…
Blue LED lights may look very pretty from afar, but constant exposure to this type of lighting is not suitable for your sensitive eyes. If you are light sensitive, your eyes get tired of the blue LED light, and you start having a slight migraine or headache.
Why Do Blue LEDs Give Me a Headache?
Blue LEDs causes minor headache and migraines in children, teenagers, and adults with sensitive eyes. The blue-white light emitted by LED lights has a wavelength of around 480 nanometers.
This short wavelength of LED lights can cause eye strain, disrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythm, and even suppress the production of melatonin (a hormone that helps regulate sleep). These effects can lead to headaches or migraines in some people, particularly those sensitive to bright light or with a medical history of severe migraines.
If you are sensitive to light and want comfort and relief, removing the blue LED strips might help. However, it is best to consult a medical professional before you declare those luminous LEDs the culprit and throw them off. Seek advice from an eye doctor or a neurologist to determine the root cause and find ways to alleviate the symptoms.
LEDs Effect on Light Sensitivity and Migraine
LED light sensitivity is a condition that requires proper care and knowledge. Due to recent complaints, some researchers surveyed LED light sensitivity migraine.
According to the study, constant exposure to intense blue light emitted by LED bulbs can lead to eye strain, headaches, and sleep problems. If usage remains persistent, the blue LED light may also contribute to causing migraine attacks and other photophobic symptoms.
Another scientific study focused on finding the types of light that cause headaches and migraines in people. The study illustrates how long-term exposure to bright bluish-white automobile lights gives taxi drivers headaches. That’s because automobiles use the same LED lights with short wavelengths and high-energy waves.
The bluish-white light is not suitable for the naked human eyes. So, it leads to eye strain and headaches at first and later causes migraines. However, high-energy light is not harmful to everyone. Only people with photosensitivity may find it uncomfortable.
What Color LED Lights Cause Headaches?
Since LED lights are available in all sorts of bright colors, you might wonder which LED light colors can cause your headaches. The problem lies within the shorter wavelength and high energy of the light rays.
White and blue LEDs are significantly very powerful and have high intensities. So, these light colors are mostly the ones behind your headaches and migraine-related symptoms. However, red LED lights are also harmful because they have a piercing nature that activates the photophobic regions of your brain.
What Color LEDs Get Rid of Headaches?
If you’re a lighting enthusiast and wish to keep the vibe on with those luminous LEDs, don’t worry. We have the best lighting for migraine sufferers. Even if you are photophobic, LEDs are for everyone!
When toning down the high energy of LED bulbs, we get green LED lights which are much better. Green is the color LED light that is best for the eyes and won’t cause headaches. Green LEDs are best known for their neutral nature. They neither contain high energy wavelength nor cast a harsh light that harms the brain.
How to Improve LED Light Sensitivity & Avoid Headaches?
If you’re a light-sensitive person suffering from constant headaches and migraines, you are not using the LEDs correctly. Here are 6 tips that you can use to avoid headaches while reducing your light sensitivity:
- If the issue persists, replace the blue LED light strips with an LED light that is a cooler shade of white.
- Try using only soft white or warm white LED bulbs for illumination.
- Minimize your exposure to automobile lights and smartphone screens in the dark.
- When working around LED bulbs, take short in-between breaks after every 30 minutes or an hour.
- Remember to wear light-sensitivity glasses when working near blue LED lights.
- Dim the LED lights to reduce your LED light sensitivity and its impact on your health.
Do LED lights Cause Headaches: FAQs
How can I protect my eyes from LED lights?
To protect your eyes from LED lights, try using a computer screen filter, adjusting the brightness and contrast of your screen, taking frequent breaks to look at distant objects, and avoiding prolonged use of electronic devices in low-light environments.
Why do LED lights hurt my eyes?
LED lights may hurt your eyes because they emit bright, intense light that can cause eye strain, dry eyes, and headaches. Additionally, LED lights often have a higher blue light content which can disrupt natural sleep patterns and cause eye fatigue.
Does green led lights help headaches?
Currently, there is limited research on the effects of green LED lights on headaches. Some studies suggest that green light therapy may help reduce headache symptoms, but more research is needed to confirm these findings.
How to stop headaches from fluorescent lights?
To stop headaches from fluorescent lights, try adjusting the lighting by moving the light source, using a dimmer switch, or using a different light bulb.
Do halogen lights cause headaches?
Halogen lights may cause headaches for some individuals due to their intense brightness and glare. This is a common symptom of light sensitivity, which can be alleviated by using dimmer switches or switching to a softer light source such as LED or incandescent bulbs.
Why does blue LED light give me a headaches?
Blue LED light can cause headaches due to its high intensity and short wavelength, which can strain the eyes and disrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
Conclusion: LED Lights Are For Everyone!
Blue LED lights can cause severe headaches and migraines if you are sensitive to lights. Instead of risking your health just because you like the bright view, consider switching to cooler white LED lights.
These LEDs are not harsh on photosensitivity and still provide ample illumination. Remember to consult with a doctor to alleviate your photosensitivity symptoms.
Are you LED light-sensitive? What photosensitivity symptoms troubled you the most, and what strategies have you found effective in managing it?
Comment below. Your insight may be helpful for others who are also dealing with this issue.