Low-energy bulbs 'worsen rashes' (BBC) {for photosensitives}

[eppur_se_muova]

The switch to energy-saving light bulbs may put thousands at risk of painful skin reactions, health charities warn.

Fluorescent bulbs can exacerbate skin rashes in people with photosensitive skin conditions, experts said.

The {UK} government is planning to prevent the sale of conventional bulbs by 2011 to cut carbon dioxide emissions.
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But representatives of the lighting industry said there would be alternatives to fluorescent lighting available.

Health conditions which can involve some form of light sensitivity, include the auto-immune disease lupus, the genetic disorder Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), certain forms of eczema and dermatitis, photosensitivity, and porphyria.
***
more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7170246.stm

[maddezmom]

1. CNN was talking about something similar this am re: migraine headaches

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Yes, posted BBC story earlier ... now Gupta is covering it. ON EDIT: add xlink

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=128049&mesg_id=128049

[TZ]

3. This is NOT a new thing

Office lighting is almost always fluorescent bulbs, and therefore photosensitives have this issue if they work outside the house.
A smart person would talk to photosensitives and find out how they deal with that and market some sort of alternative to both traditional incandescents and these fluorescents.

[cosmik debris]

4. Do you have any knowledge on LEDs?

In the next twenty years we can expect LED lighting to start replacing all other forms because of their extremely low power consumption. I don't know what the LED spectra look like to a photosensitive. But I understand that they are being used in lights for seasonal affective disorder.

[TZ]

6. I've just started learning about LED lighting..

My instincts tell me they are probably going to be easier on photosensitives than fluorescents. Still incandescents are probably going to be better. Have to ask my sister with Lupus though. She might be up to date on this, since one of the reasons she no longer has a straight office job were because the office lights were really making her sick.

[eppur_se_muova]

7. LED's will be the best of all.

The production of UV, even near-UV from LED's is difficult to achieve even by design. It took years of work to get them to produce blue light! Remember the colors in order, ROYGBIV? The first colors have the least energy, the last the most. After violet comes ultraviolet, the one that causes skin damage. Red LED's were the first ones introduced, and it took a long time to add more energetic colors! The color produced depends on the bandgap energy, which is characteristic of the material being used, and the mechanism of light production is such that a fairly narrow spectrum results. LED's which were not *designed* as UV-LED's should not be a significant source of UV.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode

Incandescents inevitably produce some small amount of UV -- but not enough to worry about, unless you design a bulb for high UV, like an incandescent sun lamp. The hotter the filament, the more UV (which is why sun lamps burn out faster).

Fluorescents produce mostly UV internally, but the phosphor coating the inside of the tube absorbs most of the UV and re-radiates visible light, in a broad spectrum. Of course, some of the UV inevitably gets through, which is bad news for the photosensitive.

[Warpy]

5. I've been using CFLs for years

and haven't noticed any worsening of my lupus.

Of course, I also use lampshades and rarely have the light focused directly on my skin.

I just have to dress like I'm going on an Arctic expedition when I leave the house during the day here in the desert.

[eppur_se_muova]

8. Glad to hear that works for you. I would think that avoiding direct light is important.

UV is easily blocked, but fl. bulbs produce enough UV that they are sometimes used in the lab to do photochemical syntheses -- no expensive UV light source needed, just a desk lamp. (Although a sun lamp is much faster.)

You might be interested in Ott lighting. The guy who developed these is so paranoid about UV that he wouldn't watch TV on a CRT tube -- he used a pair of mirrors to reflect the visible light and filter out the UV. Of course, if you have lupus or other photosensitivity, definitely check with your doctor.

Oh, yes, they are definitely high-priced. Try googling "Ott light" to find suppliers of similar, cheaper lighting.
http://www.ott-lite.com/faq.asp?qnumb=2