Why are fluorescent lights and screens such commonly mentioned triggers?
Because they both have a strong peak in the blue-green part of the spectrum, precisely the range where light sensitivity in migraine reacts most strongly. It's not about the amount of light but its composition.
This explains why an open-plan office or supermarket can be harder to tolerate than a sunny day outside in the shade. Objectively, it's brighter outside, but the composition of that light is different.
Does flicker also play a role?
With older fluorescent lighting, yes. It flickers at a frequency that you don't consciously see, but your visual system does process. With modern LED, this has been greatly reduced, although it varies per lamp.
Two factors are at play here: the composition of the light and its stability. With an old fluorescent fixture, you get both simultaneously.
What can you change in your environment?
More than you think, and most of it costs nothing. The order below goes from most effective to least effective.
| Adjustment | Effect | Feasible |
|---|---|---|
| Replace fluorescent fixture | High | Rarely within your control at the office |
| Turn off direct lighting, turn on indirect | High | Often possible |
| Sit near a window | Medium | Usually |
| Lower screen brightness | Low | Always |
| Warm mode on your screen | Low to medium | Always |
Note that screen brightness is different from composition. A darker screen emits less light of the same kind, while a warmer mode changes the composition itself.
Why doesn't the sunglass you have in your bag work?
Because it dampens everything and not just the part you're sensitive to. Wearing them indoors also lowers your threshold, making you more sensitive in the long run.
We explain this pitfall in why wearing sunglasses indoors is counterproductive.
When is a filter a logical step?
If you cannot change the environment. In the office, you rarely dictate the lighting, and then the filter is the only part of the chain you can control yourself.
Our RELIEF tempers the range where these sources peak, without darkening your vision. What that filter specifically does is explained in what an FL-41 spectacle is.
This article is intended as an explanation, not as medical advice. For persistent complaints, a general practitioner or neurologist is the appropriate contact.
