LED lights  are considered the best lighting solutionavailable on the market. Generally these lights are cheaper to operate,durable, more energy-saving than any other form of artificial lighting, andeco-friendly. They are the best from the point of view of health too. There aremany features that can affect our health, like the noise they make, thesubstances they contain may be poisonous and last but not least the flicker ofthe light can be dangerous too. In the following article we will take a look atthese characteristics of light and artificial lighting solutions.

The difficulty we mostly face with lighting is the flickerof the light. Flicker is mostly dangerous for people with conditions of photosensitiveepilepsy or autism, but it also affects the health of those who spend a lot oftime in artificial lighting.

There are two major extents of flickering with lights: thevisible and the invisible flicker to the eye. If we want to examine the varioushealth effects of lights we have to have a look at both cases. Flickering isconsidered visible on the frequency of 3-70 Hz, though what we classically callflicker is usually below 40 Hz. Under normal circumstances no form of lightfalls into this range, but with fluorescent tubes we probably all experiencedflicker before. Visible flicker with the so-called stroboscopic effect is notonly dangerous for people with photosensitive epilepsy but for all of us, sinceit damages the eyes and our sight is non-reliable in such light: we see motionsslower and have difficulty with detecting sharp edges.

Fluorescent and incandescent lights operate at the 50-60 Hzwhich is the standard frequency of alternating current electricity supply in Europe. Since this frequency would result a visibleflicker, fluorescent tubes double this frequency in operation. Flicker usuallyoccurs when a light gets old or while they are heating up to gain fullintensity of light.

LED lights on the other hand never flicker (unless they arefaulty or operated on a wrong transformer). They lit up instantly – have nowarming up time – and light on the frequency of 120 Hz. There were only fewreports of visible flicker with LEDs: it can happen when the light is dimmed,or occasionally certain electronic devices can manipulate the frequency of thelight if they are placed close to each other. Also, low voltage LED lights willflicker if they are used with transformers not suitable for LED lights.

Invisible flicker – that is light with a frequency operatingabove 70 Hz, can also harm our health. Here comes the long-know problem ofspending most of our time in artificially light in basement offices forinstance. This problem is not light-bulb specific, it simply might lead toheadache, migraine or depression to miss the sunlight constantly. Artificiallight also strains the eyes but all of these symptoms get worse with lowerfrequency incandescents, fluorescents, or devices like the telly and monitors.

Besides flickering, the constant humming of certain lightscan cause health problems. With LED lights, this issue does not occur. It alsodoes not contain poisonous substances that would mean a hazard to human health.The worst light from this point of view is the fluorescent light, with mercuryinside. If fluorescent bulbs break, the gas releases in the air, and you shouldleave the place for four hours at least to clear up. For professionalsregularly installing these lights, LEDs mean a great difference. The heat emittedby LED lights is minimal too, so they are safe to the touch and to be placednear textiles. LED lights also do not emit UV radiation, which makes them saferfor short distance use near a desk or for a reading lamp.

According to the most recent findings and applications,infra-red forms of LED lighting are not just safe but beneficial for yourhealth. According to the findings of a research led by NASA for growing plantsin space, deep photon infrared LED lights increase the energy within cells,accelerates the growth of plants and helps human cells regenerate and healfaster. This characteristic of the infrared LED can make healing of deep woundsfaster, speed up recreation after tumour operations or can even be used forcosmetic rejuvenation of the skin.