LED lighting and Migraines

[RStanley]

I have had light sensitive migraines for a few years. Recently, I have noticed exposed lights over a reef tank will trigger them for me.
I plan to build a canopy for my tank, but was wondering if anyone else had this problem or am I just “special”.

 

[ZoWhat]

Is it the actual light? Or the "shimmering" effect?

Shimmering is caused by highly focused light beams penetrating the water surface while the water surface has RIPPLES at the surface causing the beams of light to shake and shimmer past thru differing angles of ripples at the surface. Dear lord was that the loooongest run-in sentence ever?

See if you can CALM down your water surface by looking at your flow. Calming down your water surface will minimize the shimmering of the light.

See if that helps.

Plan B would be to look at adding "light diffuser panels" under the light. Some kind of solid piece if plastic to diffuse the light out at a wider angke.

Plan C would to get some lightly tinted sunglasses to wear while looking at the tank (?)



.

 

[RStanley]

Is it the actual light? Or the "shimmering" effect?

Shimmering is caused by highly focused light beams penetrating the water surface while the water surface has RIPPLES at the surface causing the beams of light to shake and shimmer past thru differing angles of ripples at the surface. Dear lord was that the loooongest run-in sentence ever?

See if you can CALM down your water surface by looking at your flow. Calming down your water surface will minimize the shimmering of the light.

See if that helps.

Plan B would be to look at adding "light diffuser panels" under the light. Some kind of solid piece if plastic to diffuse the light out at a wider angke.

Plan C would to get some lightly tinted sunglasses to wear while looking at the tank (?)



.

It’s the light itself. Covered lights don’t have the same effect on me. If the lights are in a canopy I’m fine for a few hours and it’s mild after that.
I think a big part of the problem is I have white egg crate with mesh glued to it (wrasses) and it reflects the light into my face when I do my maintenance and feed.
I’m a south Texas girl we don’t go anywhere with out sunglasses and SPF 50. I just can’t see anything else but my tank with sunglasses on in the house. LOL

 

[ZoWhat]

Time to start shopping for lightly-tinted sunglasses.

That's all the suggestions I got....

 

[Reefs and Geeks]

I don't get migraines from it, but can get some tension headaches when I have my canopy open for a while while doing maintenance and looking at the lights for a while. The intense blue lights do stain my eyes, and I get more frequent headaches after having the canopy open for a while. I don't get any of that when the canopy is closed though when just looking at the aquarium normally. I recently got a pair of yellowish orange glasses to start wearing when working on the tank for extended periods. Haven't used them yet though to see if they help.

 

[ScottR]

I believe it’s the blue light in general, not the LEDs themselves. There have been studies that blue light is bad for your eyes. It’s also bad for you around bedtime. Even my actinic bulbs give me this pain behind my eyeballs feeling if I stare too long.

 

[ZoWhat]

Try these glasses: