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Posts Tagged ‘lupus’

Protect Migraineurs from Compact Fluorescents

May 14th, 2008

In December 2007, the U.S. Congress passed the Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007, which mandates the phasing out of incandescent lighting from stores by 2012, in order to conserve energy and help the environment. The act does not mandate the use of compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL’s), but given that they are the most widely available energy saving bulbs on the market at this time, the least expensive, and the only ones which can be used with existing lighting fixtures, the likelihood is that they will become the standard.  There are other types of energy saving lighting available and under development; including LED lighting, halogens, and improvements in energy efficiency of incandescents.  Let’s encourage the growth of those technologies!

We migraineurs are just as supportive of energy conservation as anyone else. We also want to reverse
global warming and create a sustainable future. But we strongly support making that happen in a way that does not involve CFL’s! Although CFL’s do not visibly flicker as do old fashioned fluorescents, they still flicker, and that flicker is perceptible to the brain if not to the naked eye. Many migraineurs find that CFL’s are a trigger for them. They can also trigger epileptic seizures and lupus flare-ups.

A group of us who blog about and advocate for migraineurs and migraine research have put together a petition, asking Congress to amend the Energy Independence & Security Act to encourage development of other energy-saving technology. We too want a green future, we just don’t want one where we cannot take part in life outside our homes, for fear of encountering migraine triggers. Please join us in asking Congress to amend this law. You can sign the petition at ipetitions.com at this link: Protect Migraineurs from Compact Fluorescents.

– Megan Oltman

Please help us keep the world livable!

Compact fluorescent image courtesy of J. Nathan Matias.

Tags: Compact fluorescent lights, epilepsy, halogen lights, incandescent lights, LED lights, lupus, migraine, Migraine trigger
Posted in Advocacy | Comments (4)