What LEd light helps with headaches? If you’ve ever wondered about this question, you’re on the right track to helping relieve your headaches.
Because what most don’t know is that there’s a significant correlation between light and headaches.
Bright lights can worsen migraine attacks.
But more importantly, different light colors have different effects on a person.
For example, some lights provide a therapeutic effect and can even help ease headaches.
Read on to learn all there is to know about LED lights and their impact on headaches.
Light Sensitivity and Headaches or Migraines
Often, people who suffer migraines experience photophobia. That means bright lights feel like they hurt the eyes.
As a result, you need to seek some relief from darker areas until the headache subsides.
A migraine occurs in the same part of the brain (cerebral cortex).
What happens is that photoreceptors transmit signals from the retina to this part of the brain.
Thus, in the presence of light, the brain gets overstimulated, resulting in headaches.
(Caption: Image of a person with photosensitivity)
Can LED Lights Cause Headaches
Yes, LED light can cause significant headaches and migraines. At first, you may experience a flicker effect which may then progress to a migraine.
Interestingly, you may not notice this phenomenon, as it’s invisible to the human eye.
But it may worsen with more exposure to LED lights if you use dimming LED blue lights.
That’s because these LED lights are brighter than others and thus expose your eyes to more light than usual.
Now if you have an LCD (liquid crystal display) screen, these have LEDs for backlighting. See, these lights flicker 60 times per second.
And although, as mentioned earlier, the flicker is unnoticeable, it may cause a headache if you’re photosensitive.
You may experience the same with a computer or TV screen as these also use LEDs.
Also, in addition to headaches, you may experience eye strain, blurred vision, or even fatigue.
Does LED Light Color Matter?
So there are three primary LED light colors from which all other colors get formed by combining. These include red, green, and blue.
Therefore, whatever color you see from your LED lights is not the actual color produced but is a combination of either of the three colors.
Interestingly, the color of your LED lights will determine the degree of headache you experience.
See, different colors affect the retina (the eye’s natural screen where images get formed) differently.
And the same applies to the light-sensitive cells and the brain.
For example, the blue spectrum type of light is the most painful.
On the other hand, green light is gentle and known to have minimal impact in causing headaches.
Effects of Different Colors
Blue Light
Blue light has a shorter wavelength and thus emits more energy than other light spectra.
You’ll find this light in cell phone screens, computer monitors, tablet screens, and many other electronic devices that emit light.
See, blue light is a potent stimulator of photoreceptors.
Therefore, we could say that blue light plays a central role in triggering several headaches you may experience.
In contrast, lights that don’t emit blue light ease and help you have a quality sleep. That’s because they don’t disturb your circadian rhythm.
Green Light
In stark contrast to blue light, green light has minimal contribution to causing headaches.
That’s because this color does not stimulate the retinal pathways as much as blue light does. Why is that?
For one, the green light has a longer wavelength. For this reason, you’re less likely to experience aversion or show any form of sensitivity toward greed lights during a headache.
The Best LED Bulbs for Headaches
If you often experience headaches brought about or exacerbated by light sensitivity, it’s essential that your choice of light is correct.
Otherwise, when you get the color wrong, it may trigger more symptoms that get worse by the day, which is frustrating.
While doctors may recommend seeking a dark place, the right type of LED light can help.
There’s proof that LED lights have significant abilities to control headaches among photo-sensitive individuals.
Below are three options you might want to consider:
Warm, Soft Tones
Consider replacing your lights with LED bulbs that have a soft and warm tone. Granted, such lights may require you to replace some of your lighting fixtures.
But it’s worth it. That’s because these are the recommended lights for people with migraines, so it guarantees they’ll help with headaches.
Also, gone are the days when LED lights cost a small fortune. Today, they’re much more pocket-friendly, plus they’re energy efficient.
Just ensure you check the bulb’s rating to ensure you have the correct one.
Warm lights have a kelvin rating of approximately 2,700. These emit less light.
Additionally, avoid lights labeled cool or daylight or those rated above 3,100.
Unsurprisingly, most blue lights have a rating above 3,100, and it’s no wonder they worsen headaches.
Green Color
Now green lights help manage migraines. Unlike other colors, green lights emit lesser signals to the retina.
Thus, their stimulation of the pain response part of the brain is minimal. That said, you must buy a specific green light designed for migraines.
So consider trying out the green LED bulb for a few days as a form of light therapy and see if there are any improvements.
Green Light Therapy
(Caption: Person undergoing green light therapy)
Interestingly, besides alleviating seasonal affective disorder and sleep problems, therapists also use green light therapy for migraines.
What’s great about this therapy is that it’s safe and inexpensive.
Moreover, it works perfectly with other aspects of your lifestyle, habits, and any medical treatment you can use to deal with your migraine.
While there’s a need for more research on the effectiveness of green light therapy, current studies show promising results.
For example, a survey conducted in 2020 on migraine patients placed under green light LED lamps for about two hours experienced a decrease in the intensity and frequency of migraines.
What’s great is that they conducted the study during the patients’ routine activities, such as exercising and working.
Thus, it didn’t affect their everyday lifestyle.
How to Prevent Headaches From LED Light
As much as staying in a dark environment may seem to alleviate pain, doing so increases your sensitivity to light.
As a result, you’ll notice that you’re more prone to headaches caused by changes in light.
Thankfully, there are other ways to prevent and manage the condition, including:
- Wearing tinted glasses, particularly FL-42, or glasses with red lenses.
- Wearing glasses that block blue light.
- Regularly expose yourself to green light.
- Consider getting preventive treatment for migraines to reduce photophobia.
- Getting enough sleep.
- Avoiding lights that flicker or glare.
- Resting with your eyes closed in a quiet room.
- Drinking plenty of water and fluids.
- Also, you can place a cool compress on your forehead.
FAQs
Do LED Lights Reduce Headaches?
Actually, yes. But not all types of LED lights. Bulbs with a warm, soft undertone. Also, green LED lights help with headaches for two reasons.
One, it does not stimulate the retinal pathway; two, it has a longer wavelength.
Does Blue LED Light Help With Headaches?
No, it doesn’t. On the contrary, it aggravates the situation.
That’s because it stimulates the retina much more, which in turn stimulates the pain response area in the brain.
As a result, you may experience more headaches with blue light than you would with any other color.
Does Red Light Help With Headaches?
Like blue, white, and amber LEDs, red light may trigger headaches. This is especially so with people who have photophobia.
Conclusion
Now you know what LED light helps with headaches. As we’ve seen, lights with a warm, soft tone can help.
Also, green-color LED light not only stimulates the retinal pathway the least but also has a longer wavelength.
Thus, it does not aggravate headaches, hence green light therapy for migraines.
So you can try the special green LED bulbs available to help alleviate headaches.