Recently the area where I write software has been renovated. The change that stood out to me was the glaring ceiling lights, which had been changed to bright fluorescent lights (5K color temperature). After being exposed to the fluorescent lights for less than one hour, I began to feel sick. My eyes were twitching and I was experiencing a headache. At the time, I did not realize that it was the lights that were causing the issue.

My experience with fluorescent lights had led me to research into what was going on. Therefore, in this post, my goal is to share with you why fluorescent lights have such negative effects for some of us. In addition, I want to share how I resolved the issue and other alternative solutions.

Note: Unless you are sensitive to fluorescent lights, chances are you will not be able to relate. If you decide to read this post, I hope it helps you understand why some people are wearing what seems to be sunglasses indoor or staying in a darker area.

Disclaimer: I am not a vision scientist. All the information is a compilation of what I have researched and based on my own personal experience.

TL;DR

• Fluorescent lights may cause eye strain, dry eye, headache, and migraine for those that are sensitive
• Usually, it is the blue wavelength from fluorescent light that causes the problem for most individuals
• Wearing indoor glasses (not sunglasses) or a hat that blocks out light is a simple solution to fluorescent light sensitivity

Why Does Lighting Matter?

Artificial lights are the norm nowadays. Everywhere you go there are light tubes or bulbs to keep the area well lit. For most people, this is a good thing because they do not have to rely solely on natural light. However, some people are sensitive to artificial light specifically fluorescent light, which makes them feel sick. If you are sensitive to fluorescent lights, you may experience eyestrain and or headaches when exposed to them.

Health Issues

Among those who are sensitive to fluorescent lights, there are common symptoms that they experience. The symptoms include eyestrain, dry eye, headache, and migraine.

Eyestrain

As a software developer, you are constantly looking at a screen, which can already lead to eyestrain. Now if you are sensitive to fluorescent lights, exposure to them will likely give you more eyestrain. The combined effects from your screens and fluorescent lights can really stress out your eyes, so make sure to give them a break frequently.

Dry Eyes

When exposed to fluorescent lights, you may find yourself exhibiting the symptoms of dry eye. This means your eye comfort level drops and you find your eyes become red and irritated, which causes a feeling of scratchiness.

Headaches

Experiencing a headache is also a possible result from fluorescent light exposure. As a software developer, your mind is one of your most important tools. If you are experiencing headaches, then you cannot utilize your brain to its fullest.

Migraine

Depending on how sensitive you are to fluorescent lights, you might experience a migraine. If you have ever experienced a migraine, you know that it will stop you from doing almost anything.

Affects Productivity

With the combinations of eyestrain, dry eye, headache, and migraine from fluorescent lights, your productivity is going to plummet. It is unlikely that you will be able to get into a mentally concentrated state to develop software. In addition, having to take your eyes off the screen every minute is not going to help.

What You Can Do

Many people do not realize that they are sensitive to fluorescent lights and that it may be the cause of them experiencing headaches and or eyestrain. However, now you know about this issue, so you can do something about it. What you can do, you might ask.

Figure Out If You Really Are Sensitive to Fluorescent Lights

This one is obvious, but might be harder than you think. I found out about my sensitivity to fluorescent lights because my work area went from warm incandescent lights to fluorescent lights. If fluorescent lights lighted up the entire area prior, I might have a tough time pinpointing it as the cause.

A simple way to test if you are sensitive to fluorescent lights is to turn off all your devices and make sure only the fluorescent light is on. If you are fine, then the cause is somewhere else.

Another way is to use your computer screen to gauge your sensitivity with a program called f.lux. The program allows you to change the screen color temperature to match different types of light source. To start finding out your sensitivity level, set the screen to 4000 Kelvin (color temperature), which is warm temperature light sources. Slowly increase the temperature until you feel discomfort. For reference, most bright fluorescents are 5000 Kelvin.

Do Not Wear Regular Sunglasses

Sunglasses are meant for outdoor use, not indoor. They are designed to let a minimal amount of light through. If you wear sunglasses indoor, your eyes will slowly adapt to the darker lighting and become more sensitive to light.

Wear Indoor Glasses

You confirmed that you are sensitive to fluorescent light and thought about wearing some kind of glasses as a solution. The next step is to find yourself a pair of glasses specifically designed for indoor lighting. A few manufacturers of such type of glasses are Theraspecs, Axon Optics, and Migralens. I personally have a pair of Migralens and have been incredibly happy with the comfort it provides me around fluorescent lights.

Migralens — EYEC model

Change the Lights

This is a simple solution, but may be difficult to execute. If the lights are part of a shared office space, you might even start a lighting war. Probabilistically speaking, if you are sensitive to fluorescent lights, then you are the minority. Chances are you may be the only person that has a problem with the lights.

Change the Location of Where You Work

If it is possible for you to relocate your workstation then this might be the route to go with. If you are not much of a glasses person, it makes this route more appealing.

Give Your Eyes a Break

Giving your eyes a break is not going to solve the problem on its own, but I feel that it is important enough to mention it. As a software developer, you should have a habit of giving your eyes a break periodically. If you are sensitive to fluorescent lights, then you should be giving your eyes more breaks. Also, I strongly recommend you install and use f.lux especially if you like doing late night coding sessions 🙂 Your eyes will thank you if they can actually speak.

If you found this post helpful, share it with others so they can benefit too.

What is your experience like being sensitive to fluorescent lights? How did you find out about the fact that you are sensitive to fluorescent lights? How did you resolve your sensitivity problem to fluorescent lights?

Leave a comment or send me an email at steven@brightdevelopers.com. To stay in touch, follow me on Twitter.