Problems with CFLs? - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Off Topic

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Problems with CFLs?

Gigi

Veteran

I'm wondering if anyone on the forum has had problems with reactions to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). My apartment complex recently replaced all of the incandescent lights in the apartments with CFLs, and since then, I have been bothered by extreme eye irritation (kind of like you would get from an environmental allergy), extreme fatigue, and an overall reddish appearance to my face (I'm usually quite pale). Of course, I suppose it's possible that I've just managed to develop an allergy to pollen or something (lots of pollen around right now), but I find it interesting that my symptoms coincided with the replacement of the bulbs. Before I go to all the work replacing the bulbs with the old ones to see if that fixes the problem, I thought I would post here to see if anyone else has had this problem.

Off Topic

25 replies

Latest reply was from Gigi

rachylou

Veteran

It's unlikely, Gigi, that there'd be a health hazard - unless the bulbs were broken. But different CFLs (all bulbs really), produce different types of light - cold white, warm yellow, etc. Your manager may have chosen a light of a disagreeable nature, one that makes you look different and is irritating (and thus fatiguing).

Colour temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin, and you'll want something on the lower end of the scale when you look at the light bulb packages. 2800 degrees K is the colour temp of the old incandescent bulbs.

Anonymous

Only had a few CFL bulbs in the house and removed them when one started smoking. The only thing I noticed was that my eyes felt really dry when I was near my bed lamp reading or crocheting. Replaced all the CFLs with LEDs. I like the LEDs much better. BTW, don't know if you know or not, but CFLs cannot be disposed in the trash. Find a recycling center that will take them because they contain mercury.

doubleh

Veteran

AN allergy is unlikely, but light sensitivity is a real thing. Your brain is registering the difference sub-consciously, I assume. The adjustment can irritate your eyes which fatigues your eyes and your constitution. Also, as rachylou pointed out, if the output is cooler (blue-er, harsher) you might notice a difference in skintone. But it's not actually causing it. I could guess that they did use cooler bulbs as those are generally less expensive...
Atmospheric lighting is second on my list of ratings when it comes to public places (behind restroom facilities). I avoid walmart as much as I can bc of the horrid lighting- I have no idea what the facilities are like :).

rachylou

Veteran

Oh, I will say fluorescents pose risks for those with epilepsy and vertigo. They can be seizure inducing. LEDs may be the way to go... if you do, I'd test drive one. LEDs produce a directed light; you don't get the same overall illumination. So you'll want to try out a few designs before you decide, esp. since they're expensive.

Gigi

Veteran

Thanks for the input, everyone.

Rachylou, are you saying that the redness I see is just from having a different spectrum of light, as opposed to my skin actually being red? I suppose that could be possible for the flushed skin, but my eyes felt irritated (I had some eye pain) as well as appearing to be bloodshot, so there was something definitely going on with my eyes. I will also say that I have a brain injury and therefore have some neurologic issues...so maybe I'm more sensitive to the wavelength of light of the CFLs.

I am not particularly fond of LEDs. I have an LED desk lamp that is OK but kind of irritating (very cool light, like at Walmart). I have also read that LEDs can interfere with your sleep cycle more than other types of lights, and I already have sleep issues, so I'm kind of hesitant to try them. Has anyone tried halogen bulbs? I think that's about my only other choice, besides a kerosene lamp. Ha.

Lara, I have read that some places recommend staying a few feet away from the bulbs, because they emit UV rays that can be damaging. So that might explain your experience. In my apartment, the light above the stove as well as the lights above the bathroom vanity would have been closer to me than just a few feet, so maybe those were causing most of my problem. I knew about CFLs not being able to be disposed of in the trash, but I am upset that the apartment complex did not tell us that. I assume everyone in the building thinks they can be treated like regular light bulbs. You are also supposed to be very careful about how you clean them up when they break, and that was never mentioned either. Grr.

DoubleH, yes, I suspect that there is something about the wavelength that my brain doesn't like, and it is manifesting this way. As I mentioned, I have a brain injury, so all bets are off as to what the CFL wavelength is doing to me. My doctor suspects that I have a low tolerance for EMFs, so maybe that is part of the issue here too.

I did switch out the bathroom vanity bulbs and the bulb above the sink and will avoid using the overhead lighting for a few days to see if that helps. I do have regular lamps that still have the incandescent bulbs, so I won't be completely without light in the living room. It's too bad, because I really liked the light from the bulbs better than that from my incandescents. It wasn't like Walmart at all—it was warm. Sigh.

rabbit

Veteran

It might be worth checking with a doctor because there is a chance it could be a seasonal or new food allergy and have nothing to do with the bulbs. Florescent light can really make someone look like death warmed over in the mirror for sure if it's a cool light temperature, but CFL and florescents are so omnipresent nowadays that I think if one had a strong reaction it might possibly have been the kind of thing you noticed earlier because most shops and indoor public spaces use these bulbs I think.

Also older florescents (the flickery kind) can be hard on eyesight. I was having eye fatigue with a computer monitor and even got reading glasses, but then I adjusted the refresh rate of the screen and the problem went away

Halogens -- I use them in certain areas because they have a very bright warm light with a small base. The drawbacks are that they can get very hot (you can burn yourself and they can explode if you touch the bulb and transfer oils while installing it if it's not already enclosed.) They are also expensive and burn out quickly.

Gigi

Veteran

Rabbit, thanks for your input on halogens. I don't like the idea of exploding bulbs! Yikes. And I already have enough of a problem with emitted heat from the incandescents...seems like it can get to be a sauna in here once the table lamps are turned on.

I loved the "death warmed over" comment. Reminds me of how I look in dressing rooms, ha ha.

Although fluorescents are everywhere, I haven't been in range of fluorescent lights for hours on end, like in my apartment. If I go to Walmart, etc., I am there for only an hour or two. It took me about 24 hours to notice the problem after the bulbs were installed, so I think the time I'm exposed could be playing a role. I have also heard that the twisty-type CFLs can have tiny cracks in the coating inside the bulb that can cause problems with how much radiation is emitted. For normal people, this is not a problem, but for people with chronic health conditions (like me), it's just adding more for the body to deal with when it's already overloaded.

I didn't even know you could change the refresh rate on a monitor. Is that an older computer that you use?

rabbit

Veteran

It was about 10 years ago, and was a new CRT monitor. LCD's don't flicker I've read. Hope you figure out something that works!

BethL

(website)

Veteran

Gigi, I have severe migraine disease, and fluorescent lights definitely make my migraines worse. I've tried to replace the incandescent bulbs in our lamps with CFLs, and it just makes me miserable. Good luck finding a workable solution. I hope you feel better soon.

Gigi

Veteran

Beth, I get a lot of migraines since my head injury, and one of the main triggers is processing visual information—and I'm thinking that the eye irritation I'm experiencing now, if due to the CFLs, is somehow connected to that same neuropathway. It's helpful to know your experience. Are you just keeping the incandescents until you can't buy them anymore? I'm worried about what will happen when they can't be sold anymore...

BethL

(website)

Veteran

Ah, I totally get it. Same here with visual input overload. I managed to stock up on incandescent bulbs on Amazon. I think they're still easy to get. Sooner or later, though, I'll run out, I know. At that point, I guess I'll try LEDs.

I've also found that overhead lighting is almost never a good idea for me, so I try not to use it at home, even in the kitchen. I have some incandescent spotlights in there that I use whenever possible. I also use the light that's under the range hood and some under cabinet lighting. When I'm really cooking for a feast or something, then I have to use the overhead lighting, of course, but even then, it's track lighting.

I'm truly sorry you're suffering.

rachylou

Veteran

Oh, well, actually vertigo is migraine is vertigo... i.e., is neurological. So the new CFLs could be causing the eye strain. Besides trying to stock pile incandescents, try the lower Kelvin CFLs.

Re. radiation & cracks - that's true. However, you end up getting the same doses of radiation as from your incandescents in your normal household setup (i.e., you're not making out with your lampshades).

My neighbor has migraine induced vertigo. She has dark lampshades and scarves over all her lamps.

claire

I'm recovering from a brain injury, and I'm very light sensitive. All our light bulbs are now either soft white (the old kind) or yellow based if they're the new kind (cfl's). My husband actually put in one that was too white and it was painful, we couldn't turn the kitchen light on until he changed it. Dimmer switches are really helpful too! Fluorescent lights will trigger a headache in a couple of minutes, so I wear sunglasses inside if I have to. But where I can control the lighting, the warmer the better, yellow based is best. Our hardware store orders yellow cfl's for us.

Gigi

Veteran

Beth, thanks for sharing your experiences. I remember in my hair and makeup thread that you said you sometimes couldn't leave the house because of health issues. I'm sorry for that. But know that you're not alone.

Rachy, I looked at one of the CFLs, and it says 2700K on it. Does that mean degrees Kelvin? If so, maybe I need to try a higher K? Is your idea to buy a different kind with a very different frequency? Also, you said that the radiation is the same, CFLs vs. incandescents. I thought that the CFLs emitted UV radiation but incandescents did not. Am I incorrect on that? (A person sometimes feels like she needs a physics degree to live life nowadays...)

Crackers, I knew there was at least one other person on the forum with a TBI, but I couldn't remember who. Now I know who it is! I'm not nearly as light sensitive as I used to be, but this little escapade may be showing me that all that is needed is the right trigger to pretty well disable me in a matter of days. Sorry to hear you're in the same boat...it's not a nice boat to be in! My occupational therapist had recommended the Reveal incandescents that are supposed to mimic sunlight, and those have been good for me.

claire

We have the reveal bulbs around the house too, I forgot about those, they do work well, and last forever on a dimmer.

Do you mind if I drop you a PM sometime? I would love to hear more about how you are doing in your recovery. I'm having a much harder time participating on the forum than I thought I would, and it's so frustrating, word processing is still a huge issue for me. I don't want to hijack your thread but I would love to hear how you are doing, if you don't mind.

Gigi

Veteran

Sure, crackers, you can PM me anytime!

rachylou

Veteran

Yes... that's it. K is Kelvin. You might try a different K(elvin).

And yes, incandescents also emit UV radiation, and neither they nor CFLs emit as much as the sun. Or in other words, you're not gonna get sunburn from regular light bulbs of any kind (tanning bulbs, sun lamps - however, yes you will).

Anyways, the radiation emitted from CFLs and incandescents is not the same. However, the radiation received is on par. And the radiation emitted is very low; you need very sensitive equipment to register it. It's the sunburn thing again.

Gigi

Veteran

Thanks, Rachylou! I'll see what I can scare up for a different Kelvin output next time I'm at the store.

rachylou

Veteran

It's admittedly pretty complicated. They even have light bulb consultants now. You've got all these combos of Watts, Lumens, and Kelvins to contend with. Last few times I've had to buy a lightbulb, I've wasted about $40 bucks because I don't read the packages carefully enough or forget what I'm looking for or get suckered by the package advertising... *Bright, Clear Daylight!* sounds so appealing, right? Made me want to throw up. Made me look like I had thrown up. One switch flip and that bulb was outta there.

E

Veteran

I'm a huge environmentalist who happily makes all kinds of sacrifices big and small to reduce my resouce use & waste, but I cling to my old fashioned soft white bulbs. The CFL ones I've encountered have always made me feel icky almost right away (I'm mildly migraine prone & more seriously vertigo prone): they're too white and just ugh. I hate old-fashioned fluorescent lighting the most, but CFL bulbs strongly remind me of that.

So I'm glad you started this thread Gigi, because now I know what kinds of CFLs to look for if I ever have to.

Gigi

Veteran

Rachylou, light bulb consultants? Oh my. I'm seriously ready to go try out some old-fashioned gas lamps. I wonder if they'd set off my smoke detector?

E, the CFLs seem to be a tradeoff environmental-wise. Yes, you reduce the energy usage, but you also are using a product that has mercury in it and is toxic. So it's not all fun and games with the CFLs. It's interesting that you also feel that you have some kind of reaction to these lights and that you have some neurological issues too.

pastrygirl

(website)

Veteran

We've been replacing our standard bulbs with LEDs. I won't put a single CFL in my house, because you need hazmat-type ridiculousness to clean up a broken one! No thank you!!

rachylou

Veteran

Totally off-topic: I think about the toxicity of materials especially when it comes to hybrid cars. This is a pretty random thing to do. Don't know what to say about that. I mean birth control pills are leaking into the environment and making two-headed frogs. I'm not sure what my poison should be, but I'm picking on hybrid cars.

Echo

Veteran

I had no idea that CFLs could trigger health issues, but I do know that I have always preferred warm light. So I've also had to eliminate the sunlight mimicking bulbs because they are too blue and cold. I have also stocked up on incandescents (though as it was mentioned, they will surely run out at some point).

I used to work in colour analysis and consultation on printed materials, and we worked in light booths that had completely neutral white light. But those lights were focused on the table and the rest of the room wasn't lit well or at all. I never felt uncomfortable with those, but then we were never looking around with them, either, just comparing colours on the table.

Honestly, there are so many people who feel the way we do about cool lighting that it makes me wonder why they didn't at least attempt to make CFLs with a coating or something to more closely mimic incandescent bulbs. If things and people look markedly different (and not better) with new lightbulbs, logic says that many people will reject them. They don't need a logical or health reason to do so, as we reject "ugly" things for our homes all the time.

Gigi

Veteran

Echo, aha, another stockpiler! You're right that if people don't like something, they're not going to use it if they can help it! I think that the "soft white" coating thing is maybe supposed to be remedied by a different Kelvin output, like Rachylou was talking about—it sounds like the different Kelvin temperatures produce different warmths of light.

The maintenance guy came today and changed out the bulbs in my overhead lights so they're back to being incandescents. Yay! He told me that he thinks that the CFLs are not going to be a big player for too long and will be replaced by LEDs eventually. He thinks that there are just too many complaints and health hazard issues with the CFLs.