Blue Light Therapy & Migraines

Researchers indicate exposure to doses of blue light helps pilots, truck drivers and other people who need to stay awake and alert for long periods of time to concentrate better. While blue light therapy aids graveyard shift workers and people with similar jobs, its effect may cause long-term eye damage if used improperly or for long periods. The color blue, when used in décor, stones and the like, calms the mind, and can reduce the severity of migraines and other headaches. The effect of blue lights on individuals prone to migraines, though, is generally thought to be harmful.

How Blue Light Affects Migraine Patients

• Blue light therapy helps many people afflicted with acne, rosacea and other skin problems. However, blue light heightens pain in most migraine patients. There are only a few light therapies used to treat migraines and they are still unproven. A light mask fitted for use a few minutes a day using pulsed light to treat migraines is sold overseas, but it doesn’t used blue light. Most migraine therapies involve reduction or control of the blue light emitted by computer screens, light bulbs and other artificial light sources used daily by headache patients.

Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs and Migraines

• New energy-saving compact light bulbs save time, money and the environment, but they do put migraine sufferers at risk, according to some vision experts. Many migraine patients report that their headaches get worse after using a CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) light bulb that emits blue light. Light sensitivity has often played a role in triggering and prolonging migraines, and the advent of CFL light bulbs and blue spectrum lights has caused renewed discussion of how different types of light exacerbate migraines.

Blocking Blue Light

• The Migraine Action Association conducted a study using a special lens to filter blue light from CFL and other light bulbs. The resulting test data showed that 90 percent of respondents experienced a reduction in headaches. These special glasses block out both blue and red light, the two main light types known to worsen migraines. The cost can be prohibitive for some users, however, and the lenses are currently available from only one company. Another type of controversial filtering eyeglass lens, the Irlen, is used to treat autism, eyestrain and visual problems. It is used by some migraine sufferers to block out blue light.