HYDERABAD: The ‘festival of lights’ may not be as charming for you if are sensitive to bright lights and sounds. It can even become painful with migraines. The joy of the festival should remain intact and hence, we talk to doctors who advise us to follow some steps.
Dr Deepti Mehta, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Care Hospitals tells us how bright light and crackers affect people sensitive to light: “Bright light stimulates light-sensitive cells in nerve layer of eyes, releasing chemicals that injure the nerve layer and disrupt smooth functions of the retina. Blue and red light even at moderately intense levels can disturb the retinal functions of rods and cones. Since it has a shorter wavelength it has more energy. Fluorescent lights and LED lights are prominent sources of blue light. Crackers too, emit flickering light with a multitude of colours, toxin-fumes filled with phosphorous that can cause eye injury, chemical burns, and photosensitivity.”
She explained that photophobia and phonophobia occur together, not just stimulating photosensitivity, dizziness and migraines but also building upon stress levels, high heart rate and blood pressure. “Sounds above 140 DB are dangerous for human ears. Those above 170 DB can cause lethal pulmonary embolism.”
She advised people to sensitive to bright lights and loud sounds to avoid strobe lights, flicker lights and lights running in horizontal/vertical patterns. “Avoid blue and red coloured lights as they stimulate corneal irritation, photosensitivity, migraine and in severe cases, seizures trigger factors. Avoid contrasting lights like stars against the black sky. Be warned against using rapidly changing lights, lights moving in blinking patterns,” she said.
Adding to her inputs, Dr Anubha Rathi, Consultant Ophthalmologist, LVPEI and also the lead of the emergency task force for Diwali, said, “Patients with photosensitivity should avoid going outdoors in bright light conditions as much as possible, particularly during Diwali. They must use protective goggles when exposed to bright light conditions.
In homes with patients with light sensitivity, dull yellow soothing lighting can be used. Flashy decorative lights should be avoided. In a neighbourhood, where patients with photosensitivity may be residing, it’s better to avoid flashy decorative lights in the outdoors. Conditions such as migraines can be precipitated by exposure to bright lights and loud sounds. Hence such patients should avoid these stimuli as much as possible.”
Dr Deepti Mehta advised people to choose firecrackers like comets, wheels, fountains, and falling leaves and urged them to avoid atom bombs and loud-sounding whistling rockets. On being asked how can the environment be made more friendly for people with photosensitivity, Dr Mehta said, “Use room humidifiers to keep the room well maintained and away from dryness. Use window blinds or shades for oversensitive individuals to avoid bright-dark contrasts at night. Using precision tinted glasses FL-41 relieves photosensitivity by filtering toxic light. Wear earplugs to prevent sound pollution that can further aggravate photosensitivity.”