What kind of lamp is good for eye health?

Every room in the house, office building, shopping center, and surrounding buildings needs lighting. That's why lights become electronic devices that cannot be separated from our daily lives.

We can do activities for more than 10 hours in a room shaded by artificial light. Whether it's studying in the classroom, working in the office, or even while eating at a cafe. However, being constantly exposed to artificial light is also bad for the eyes.

Therefore, let's find out what kind of lighting is good for the eyes, and what the risks are if you choose the wrong one.

The light helps us see

Without light, humans cannot see. Whether it's natural like the sun or from a lamp, light rays will reflect off the surface of the object. If the object is in your field of view, the reflected light will enter your eye by passing through the cornea first.

The cornea is a clear dome-shaped layer covering the front of the eye. This clear coating helps focus the light. After the cornea, how much light enters the deeper eye will be controlled by the iris. To do that, the iris will shrink or enlarge to change the size of the pupil.

Then the light will be captured by the eye lens to be transmitted to the retina at the back of the eye. The lens of the eye can adjust its shape depending on whether the light is reflected close to you or far away.

Now, in the retina there are a number of special cells called photoreceptors which converts light into electrical signals. These electrical signals will travel from the eye to the brain via the optic nerve pathway to be translated as images of the objects we see.

The importance of installing lights in the room

Lighting is very important so that humans can see clearly in the room. Summarizing a number of studies, activities in a bright room can increase concentration, productivity, and morale than in a dimly lit room.

Good room lighting can also maintain eye health. Because too bright can make glare, while light that is too cloudy makes vision blurry. Both can make your eyes tired over time.

There are several other risks that may occur if you are active or like to read in a dark room. First, your eyes can dry out because in low light your eyes blink less frequently. Dry eyes can make your vision uncomfortable.

When adjusting the lighting in the room, you also need to adjust to the current eye conditions. People who have refraction problems (minus, plus, or cylinder eyes) may need special lighting settings to maximize their visual acuity. Likewise, those who have vision problems such as cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, and other vision conditions.

Various types of lamps are available in the market

1. Incandescent lamp

Incandescent lamps are the most common type of lighting and the most widely used indoors. Incandescent bulbs are also often called halogen lamps.

The incandescent bulb is the cheapest among other bulb types, but it is also the most extravagant. This is because the bulb needs to be supplied with a large amount of electrical energy to heat the filament wire to produce a beam of light. Incandescent lamps are marketed in a variety of voltages (voltages), ranging from 1.25 volts to 300 volts.

The glow produced by an incandescent bulb is usually a reddish-yellow fluorescent color. The light produced by an incandescent bulb is also hot, which makes the air in the room feel a little warmer.

2. Solid fluorescent lamp (CFL)

CFL (compact fluorescent light) is a lamp designed to replace an incandescent bulb. CFL is 75% more energy efficient and has 10 times longer life span than incandescent bulb.

CFL contains argon and mercury vapor which is stored in a spiral tube. The electric current will "cook" the gas mixture so that it creates ultraviolet light. The heat from the ultraviolet light will stimulate the fluorescent (phosphor) layer on the inner wall of the tube. This layer will absorb energy, and then emit light.

The light emitted by a CFL bulb is usually a shade white or a bright white. Some types of CFL can also emit light daylight which is akin to natural rays of light.

3. LED

LED (light emitting diode) is the type of lamp that is most energy efficient and durable than others. However, the light emitted is also the brightest.

Instead of emitting light from a vacuum (such as an incandescent bulb) or a gas reaction (such as a CFL bulb), LED lights produce light when an electrical signal flows in their semiconductor structure.

An LED semiconductor has two ends which are positively and negatively charged. Electricity will begin to flow to the negative end first to generate electrons which then move to the positive end. Only then does the LED light emit. LEDs are a source of light directional, which means that they emit light only in a certain direction, unlike incandescent bulbs and CFLs in all directions.

The LED bulb that is commonly marketed for indoor lighting emits white light (shade or light) or daylight. Beyond that, there are types of LEDs that emit colorful lights for outdoor decoration needs.

Which light is the best for the eyes?

In general, the selection of lamps for indoor lighting will depend on your needs. However, what you may need to consider more is the risk of side effects from each type.

Heat radiation from an incandescent bulb and its intense beam of light over time can increase the risk of corneal damage, cataracts, and retinal injury. Incandescent bulbs are also prone to prolonged blinking, causing or worsening nearsightedness (myopia).

Meanwhile, the bright light of the CFL bulb is thought to cause rapid body weakness, headaches, eye irritation, and even the risk of vision problems such as keratitis and conjunctivitis. Over time, fluorescent lighting has also been associated with an increased risk of UV radiation-induced eye diseases such as cataracts and pterygia. This risk has been reported by research from Monash University Australia published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2011.

On the other hand, LED type lighting also has its own drawbacks for eye health. Eye tissue damage due to exposure to LED light has been shown by various studies in humans and animals. Summarizing two different studies from China, the emission of LED light bulbs in particular those of blue light was associated with an increased risk of retinal damage and cataracts.

You can find out which lamp is right for you by consulting your doctor. Later the doctor can recommend the type of light, the color of the beam, and the best light intensity for your eyes.

Tips for installing room lights that are comfortable for the eyes

Every building needs lighting, including your own office and home. Now after finding out which type of bulb is best for you, here are tips that you can try when installing a light at home:

1. Avoid installing light bulbs with bright fluorescent light

Whether at home or in the office, avoid using bright fluorescent lighting or that emits blue light. Neon colors like this often cause eye glare, which makes fatigue and headaches fast. Blue light exposure can also cause migraine to recur frequently.

Instead, install lighting that gives off warm white light similar to natural sunlight. That way, our eyes can adjust to themselves better. You don't get tired quickly because you keep squinting.

Try to install light bulbs of the same type and intensity of lighting in all rooms. These tips are useful so that your eyes don't have to constantly adjust to new light when moving rooms.

2. Put the light under the eyes

The light from the light bulb on the ceiling should be pointing below your eyes. That's why it's best to install multiple lights on top instead of depending on just one beam from the center of the room. Position the ceiling light in such a way as to get an even beam of light.

If possible, also install standing lights at different points of the room to ensure there are no dark corners.

3. Also set the color of the walls of your home or office

For comfortable viewing during your activities, avoid painting the walls white or blue.

Remember, light will bounce off the surface of a solid object. Including the wall. If you choose white while the glow of the bulb is white or yellow, the reflection of the light will create glare. Likewise if you choose blue paint while the glow of the bulb is white. Meanwhile, if the walls are blue but the light bulb is yellow, the room lighting will appear more murky and dark.

Choose a neutral wall color to make the eye look like a soft pink color peach or peach, and warm beige hues. Shades of color pink and peach shade so that it can be more easily accepted by the eye. You can get around the effect of the wall color by putting up a poster, wallpaper, or even a wall decoration like a photo.

Textured walls are also better than smooth, smooth, and shiny walls. Because the texture will "absorb" some of the reflected light so that what enters your eyes is not so intense.

Tips for installing lights in the bedroom

Just like any other room, bedrooms also need good lighting. Because besides sleeping, you can also do many other things in that privacy space. For example dressing, working, reading a book while relaxing, or wearing makeup.

Basically adjust the lighting in the bedroom just like any other room. Install a light bulb with a small, shaded wattage right in the middle of the ceiling to cast an even light in all directions. However, it's also a good idea to attach 1-2 extra light bulbs that are strategically placed to keep the beam from above falling under your eyes.

Remember, don't choose LED lights that emit blue light for the room. Because blue lights will actually make it more difficult for you to sleep at night. This effect has to do with the way the body's biological clock works, which is called the circadian rhythm.

A study from the University of Granada, Spain, published in the journal PLos One in 2017 reports that blue LED light has been shown to reduce the production of the hormone melatonin (the sleepy hormone). This is what keeps you feeling fresh at night, so it takes longer to fall asleep. Wear a red night light to stimulate melatonin production throughout the night.

There are other tips to sleep better without being disturbed by light:

• Limit the lighting that goes into your room. Try to deal with light leaks from other rooms or from outdoor sunlight.
• Don't turn on bright white lights when you suddenly wake up at night. Use a special nightlight that has a dim red or warm orange light.
• Turn off all light sources, including cell phones, TVs, and computers. It is recommended to turn off devices that emit light up to one hour before going to bed.

Natural sunlight is also important

Lighting in space is important. Apart from helping us to see better when we are on the move, strategic lighting also makes interior decoration of the house look nicer.

However, you also shouldn't forget the importance of natural sun rays. During the morning to noon, open the curtains and windows wide to "allow" natural light into the house.

Natural lighting is proving to be the most energy efficient lighting tool than artificial lighting. In general, using natural light for indoor lighting can cut monthly electricity costs by as much as 75 percent.

Indoor natural lighting also provides much better lighting, without causing eye glare like incandescent or fluorescent lamps. That way you can be comfortable doing activities while avoiding the risk of accidents such as tripping or falling.

The inversely proportional to the risk of UV radiation from CFL lamps, the ultraviolet rays from the sun are actually beneficial. Sun's UV rays are a natural antiseptic and disinfectant. Natural lighting can help reduce the number of harmful bacteria and organisms lurking in every part of your home.