Unshielded Fluorescent lights?

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Steveo - 28 Mar 2007 20:32 GMT

Good day all, I am back with a question for the masses. I have severe
sun sensitivity. I stay out of the sun as much as is humanly
possible. I noticed that over the last two years I have not gotten
any better, over all, but have been even or flaring up. SO, being a
professional trouble shooter I decided to look into my own problem in
a systematic way. What I found was the only constant, Unshielded
Fluorescent lights. I work in an office directly beneath 4 large
Unshielded Fluorescent lights. So I mapped out all the places I have
sat in the last three years an found that the one place where I turned
off the lights directly above my head was the time period where I was
consistently getting better. SO I asked the facilities manager to
install an acrylic diffuser on the light directly above me, this is
all that is necessary to block the UVA radiation. I found multiple
studies where lupus patients that has severe sun allergy were also
affected by unshielded Fluorescent lights. Now this may sound silly
but "once you eliminate everything that is possible what ever is left,
no matter how improbable has go to be fact" (Thanks Sherlock Holmes)
I would like to report that two weeks of this and I am no longer
flaring and my fatigue has disappeared. Nothing else has changed but
the acrylic shield. Has anyone out there ever noticed something
similar to this? And it is not a placebo affect because it was change
and I didn't even notice for 1.5 weeks but I did notice an improvement
and was trying to figure out why, my wife even noticed a difference in
my behavior.... SO FYI to all...

Steve

Reply to this Message

William R Thompson - 29 Mar 2007 09:13 GMT

> I work in an office directly beneath 4 large
> Unshielded Fluorescent lights. So I mapped out all the places I have
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> install an acrylic diffuser on the light directly above me, this is
> all that is necessary to block the UVA radiation.

> Nothing else has changed but
> the acrylic shield. Has anyone out there ever noticed something
> similar to this?

I can spend about fifteen minutes under regular fluorescent
tubes without a problem; after that I can expect problems.
Quartz-halogen and low-pressure sodium lights are a bigger
problem. I think they produce more UV than the tubes.

Have you had a problem with sunlight through windows?
Unfiltered glass will block UV-B but not UV-A.

--Bill Thompson

Reply to this Message

Nancy F - 30 Mar 2007 12:24 GMT

My example is of being sick & sicker during and after riding in the car.
I got a piece of removeable/reusable window film rated to stop 98% of UVA &
UVB rays. I cut it to fit the whole front window with a cutout for viewing
the side mirror. I enjoyed immediate results! No more nausea, overly
sensative eyes, crashing on the bed fatigue when I got home and the next
day. I can put the same film on the passenger side window and on either of
the back windows with just folding it in half.
I also wear the Solumbra shirt and a piece of fabric to cover my lap. If
by some strange quirk I am in the car withour my anti-sun shirt I can fit
all of me under the lap fabric.
Nancy F, SoCal
Christ, Chorus, Cats, Computers

>> I work in an office directly beneath 4 large
>> Unshielded Fluorescent lights. So I mapped out all the places I have
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> --Bill Thompson

Reply to this Message

Andy - 30 Mar 2007 16:09 GMT

> My example is of being sick & sicker during and after riding in the car.
>I got a piece of removeable/reusable window film rated to stop 98% of UVA &
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>day. I can put the same film on the passenger side window and on either of
>the back windows with just folding it in half.

Note for information: our local newspaper happens to have just published
the British regulations on dark car windows. The window in front of the
driver (which we call the windscreen) must transmit at least 75% and
both side windows at the front must transmit at least 70%. If your
windows are too dark, you can be fined; and your insurance may be
invalid.

However you can please yourself in the back...

Signature

Andy Taylor [Chair, N E Lupus Group]
See http://www.northeastlupus.org.uk for more!

Reply to this Message

cntlady - 30 Mar 2007 12:42 GMT

> Good day all, I am back with a question for the masses. I have severe
> sun sensitivity. I stay out of the sun as much as is humanly
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>
> Steve

I also have severe sun sensitivity. At work I had them actually remove
the bulbs above my work area. This helped only to a certain extent.
Seems that the lights in the remainder of the room still affect me and
am continuously flaring. If I don't come up with something to ease
this I fear I will have to stop working. This I do not want to do! I
also wear sunscreen +50 and a baseball cap. Kind of at my wits end
what else to do. Am glad to hear you found some relief and hope it
continues to work for you

Reply to this Message

Andy - 30 Mar 2007 16:11 GMT

[

>I also have severe sun sensitivity. At work I had them actually remove
>the bulbs above my work area. This helped only to a certain extent.
>Seems that the lights in the remainder of the room still affect me and
>am continuously flaring. If I don't come up with something to ease
>this I fear I will have to stop working.

There's someone sells a thing like a bee-keeper's hat, with a
light-screening veil. Yup, you look odd :)

Signature

Andy Taylor [Chair, N E Lupus Group]
See http://www.northeastlupus.org.uk for more!

Reply to this Message

Steveo - 30 Mar 2007 20:50 GMT

Over here in the US you can get all your windows including the
"windscreen" tinted if you can get your DR to sign off on it, or
better stated you need a DR's note. On a side note I did get them to
install the acrylic shiels on all the lights in the room I work in.
So far so good. thanks for everyone's input.
-Steve

Reply to this Message

Mair - 01 Apr 2007 01:12 GMT

Yes, steveo, I have noticed that when I go into the supermarket, within
minutes the skin on the roof of my mouth sloughs off (yech!). I tried to
talk to some one who might have the knowledge as to what kind of lights
those are. Not all fluorescent lights effect me. I am using one where I
read on a daily basis, but now that you have said this, I will watch and see
if there is a difference for me as well.

Thank you so much for sharing this info

Mair

> Good day all, I am back with a question for the masses. I have severe
> sun sensitivity. I stay out of the sun as much as is humanly
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>
> Steve

Reply to this Message

William R Thompson - 01 Apr 2007 11:09 GMT

> Yes, steveo, I have noticed that when I go into the supermarket, within
> minutes the skin on the roof of my mouth sloughs off (yech!). I tried to
> talk to some one who might have the knowledge as to what kind of lights
> those are. Not all fluorescent lights effect me. I am using one where I
> read on a daily basis, but now that you have said this, I will watch and
> see if there is a difference for me as well.

Are the lights that really bother you those small, intense
quartz-halogen lamps? They're more powerful than the
regular forty-watt long tubes, and their quartz casing passes
a lot more UV light than regular glass (glass stops UV-B
and a little UV-A; quartz lets them both pass freely).

Those ugly yellow sodium-vapor street lamps and security
lights put out a lot of UV, too, and they don't even give
decent illumination.

--Bill Thompson

Reply to this Message

Mair - 04 Apr 2007 04:55 GMT

No, that is not the kind of light I am using, but I think I know the kind
you are talking about... don't jewelers use them to make the jewelry
sparkle, and my ring looks 100 times prettier in one of those lamps.

No the one I am using is just a flourescent bar, the type you would stick
under a kitchen cabinet, the light has just a slight pinkish cast, and I
just have it stuck to my bedroom wall. Yes, I win the "Ms Tacky" award for
2007...

In the supermarket... they just look like regular flourescent lamps, and
since they never did find anyone who knew what they were (I got the
impression that they didn't really give a hoot), I still don't know what
they are.

>> Yes, steveo, I have noticed that when I go into the supermarket, within
>> minutes the skin on the roof of my mouth sloughs off (yech!). I tried to
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> --Bill Thompson

Reply to this Message

William R Thompson - 04 Apr 2007 07:50 GMT

> "William R Thompson" wrote:

>> Are the lights that really bother you those small, intense
>> quartz-halogen lamps? They're more powerful than the
>> regular forty-watt long tubes, and their quartz casing passes
>> a lot more UV light than regular glass (glass stops UV-B
>> and a little UV-A; quartz lets them both pass freely).

> In the supermarket... they just look like regular flourescent lamps, and
> since they never did find anyone who knew what they were (I got the
> impression that they didn't really give a hoot), I still don't know what
> they are.

I've done some checking; the problem may have to do with
whoever manufactured the tubes. Different manufacturers use
different filler gases and different phosphors, and apparently
different glass in the tubes. I'm guessing that someone has made
a "lucky" combination that emits a lot more UV-A than normal.

--Bill Thompson

Reply to this Message