If the question is about which bulbs are best to choose so that your eyesight does not deteriorate, then there is a question of beauty and grace. appearance lamps or chandeliers fade into the background, and the characteristics of the lamp come to the fore.
Nowadays, there are 4 types of lamps used:
- incandescent lamp (including halogen);
- LED lamp;
An incandescent lamp is relatively cheap compared to others, it emits a lot of heat and infrared light, but the radiation lacks the blue and violet regions of the spectrum. As a result, you can get an inferior color perception.
LED and energy-saving (fluorescent) lamps produce light that is very similar to sunlight. But at the same time, they emit such an amount of ultraviolet radiation that, according to some experts, can lead to skin cancer. The question is debatable - it has not yet been definitely confirmed, therefore there is no point in worrying unreasonably.
But there is a small snag here. operate at the mains frequency, therefore they flash at the same frequency. They eliminate faster eye fatigue and in some cases can cause migraines. To prevent flashing, most often the lamps are hung in pairs - the lamps are powered by a 50 Hz network, but when they are placed in pairs, they are powered in antiphase, which means they flash 2 times faster.
So LED lamps there are no such problems, because they immediately come from the assembly line with a converter that operates at an increased frequency.
At the same time, the lamps consume very little, although the efficiency at such consumption is ten times higher.
Lighting color plays a big role. Lamps are divided into:
- warm;
- cold.
Warm ones operate within temperatures lower than 3,500 K. And cold ones, on the contrary, in the range from 3,500 K to 5,000 K.
For residential premises, lamps with a “warm” light are more suitable, and for offices and industrial ones - with a “cold” one.
They are also used in many rooms and not only, but are gradually being replaced, like an incandescent lamp. They have a long service life, but are difficult to manufacture and dispose of. And in their place came LED illuminators.
Based on everything, we can conclude that LED and fluorescent lamps, due to the similarity of the radiation range with the solar the best way suitable for human eyes.
Where and what kind of lamp is better to use
When buying a lighting fixture, you must clearly understand what area it is intended to illuminate: bedroom, hallway, living room or bathroom.
If this is a bedroom, then it is better to pay attention to a calmer, more moderate light. Scattered or moderately scattered. For cabinets, mirrors and chests of drawers, point ones are better -. They will provide maximum illumination in functional areas.
The presence of a chandelier in the living room will not hurt. It will create general background lighting. Here you need to select halogen or conventional incandescent lamps, but in no case fluorescent.
If the room has a corner for reading, knitting or other similar work, then do not forget that there are floor lamps, among which you can choose the most ergonomic, suitable for the interior and work.
The hallway is a special place. Sometimes you need a lot of light, and sometimes you don't need it at all. But, nevertheless, according to experts, it is desirable to combine lighting here, which should consist of an upper main source and additional spot ones.
Children's room - only bright light. Here the child plays, learns lessons, spends a large part of his free time, so the lighting should be enough for his still developing eyes. Using desk lamp, you will not only solve the problem with illumination, but also save the child's eyes from fatigue and overload.
Best for office daylight, since it will be as close as possible to real, natural light and will minimally affect eye fatigue.
For the kitchen, it is better to use general and zonal lighting. There are two main zones - a work table and a dining table. In the work area, fluorescent or halogen lamps built into cabinet eaves. Above the table, a mobile lamp is desirable, which can be easily raised and lowered above the table level.
A bathroom with high humidity requires special measures. Here, halogen lamps covered with a glass lampshade will come in handy. Near the mirror, spotlights are desirable.
Imagine that electricity does not exist, and the ancient methods of lighting - candles and lamps - are not available to you for some reason. You don’t need to have a wild imagination to understand: in this case, you will “lose” most of the day (and, finally, start to get enough sleep). You simply will have nothing to do in the evenings - and right after dusk! This little fantasy helps to understand that we are all surrounded by artificial lighting, in which we do literally everything - from cooking and playing with children to studying, working and reading. But at the same time, artificial lighting has merged so thoroughly with the lifestyle of a civilized person that we simply don’t notice it anymore. But artificial lighting is one of the main factors affecting vision.
The best light for vision is, of course, natural sunlight. But even here there are some nuances: for example, looking at the bright sun without dark glasses is not recommended, and a long stay in the scorching sun without eye protection can lead to visual impairment and contribute to the development of various diseases. The healthiest option is a slightly scattered daylight white light. But even during the day, this light is far from always enough: firstly, if you are indoors, the degree of illumination during the day changes due to the movement of the sun relative to your side of the building; secondly, in winter (capturing late autumn and early spring) the light in our latitudes is generally too dim for full illumination. Therefore, in daytime natural light is often used only as background light, which must be supplemented with local artificial lighting. Here we come to the main question: What kind of artificial lighting is the most beneficial for vision?
Incandescent or fluorescent lamps
As you might expect, people have not yet invented the perfect artificial lighting. Most often, the debate about the benefits / harms to vision concerns the choice between traditional incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps. daylight- and there are no winners in these disputes. The thing is that in some ways incandescent lamps are superior to fluorescent lamps - and vice versa; both technologies do not give an ideal effect. Main advantage incandescent lamps is that they do not flicker, which means that they do not strain the eyes. The light of such lamps spreads evenly and smoothly, the ripple is completely absent. The disadvantage of incandescent lamps is low efficiency and environmental friendliness, as well as a yellow tint and low light intensity. The main advantage fluorescent lamps can be called high intensity white light, suitable for illuminating large rooms, offices, classrooms, etc., the main disadvantage is flicker, albeit imperceptible to the naked eye. Old style fluorescent lamps flickered quite obviously - and it was noticeable, now there is no such problem, but flicker is still present and can theoretically negatively affect your vision, although conclusive evidence of this has not yet been received.
Concerning shade of light, then a real discussion has recently flared up about what kind of light is more preferable for vision - completely white or yellow. It is believed that white light is more ergonomic, it repeats the shade of daylight, therefore it is more beneficial for the eyes. On the other hand, there is an opposite opinion, which is that in white daylight there is a natural yellow tint, which is absent in fluorescent lamps. Therefore, eyes get tired of too white light, and a person feels uncomfortable. There is no final clarity on this issue yet, and experts advise using the light of the shade that is comfortable for you personally. Only cold shades of light are definitely harmful to the eyes - especially blue.
Light intensity
Lighting that is too dim spoils your vision and makes you fall asleep on the go, too bright lighting makes you tired (a common symptom is headache due to overexertion of the eye muscles). The best option is moderate-intensive lighting, in which you can see everything perfectly, but the eyes are still comfortable. To achieve this effect, you can use a simple trick - combine general and local light source. The general light should be diffused, unobtrusive, the local light should be 2-3 orders of magnitude more intense than the general one. It is highly desirable that the local light be adjustable and directional. In the general light, you can communicate, relax, do household chores or work that does not strain your eyesight. If your activity requires the involvement of the eyes, vision, you can turn on the local lighting, choose the intensity (for reading - one, - the other, etc.).
Very harmful to the eyes expressive light glare; that is why lighting experts often criticize the interior fashion for glossy surfaces, glass and mirrors: such elements just give noticeable glare. Glare distracts attention, strains eyesight, and makes it difficult to focus on the selected object. Therefore, it is highly desirable that the surfaces in the room be light, but matte: such surfaces reflect light, but do not create glare.
In general, the most visually beneficial option is to combine various methods lighting - even to the point that you sometimes rest your eyes by lighting the room, for example, with a candle or an open fire of a fireplace. Use intense light only if necessary for work or reading, otherwise prefer diffused general light with a natural yellowish tint. Remember that the lamps were originally designed for use in lamps, so it is very desirable to have a ceiling or lampshade of at least frosted glass. Light your living and working spaces wisely: in some cases, low lighting is most appropriate, in others you need a clearly directed bright light, and sometimes a low-wattage bulb under a dense lampshade is enough.
On the role of illumination for vision. What kind of light is best for the eyes? Where to put a TV, computer in the room? How does low light damage your eyes?
On the role of illumination for vision. What kind of light is best for the eyes? Where to put a TV, computer in the room? How does low light damage your eyes?
Most often, to my question: “Are the child’s books or notebooks covered enough while working with them?”, You confidently give a positive answer.
What does a person put into the concept of "good lighting"?
Some find that an overhead light provides sufficient room illumination when reading literature, while others require table lamps. Some choose conventional incandescent lamps, others prefer fluorescent ones. Who is close to the truth? In the vast majority of cases, doctors do not pay due attention to the lighting characteristics of the rooms in which their patients work and study. Considering that the concepts of “eye” and “light” are inseparable, the doctor at the reception is obliged to tell parents in sufficient detail about everything related to illumination, its power, lamp design and preferences when choosing them.
In what units is the illumination measured, which lamp should be chosen in order to achieve good level lighting?
Optimal is the illumination of a book or notebook, obtained from an incandescent lamp of 75 watts. This corresponds to 150 lux. If you have Fluorescent Lamp, then the illumination should be equal to 300 lux.
And if the illumination is more than specified, will it harm the eyes? Still, the illumination indicated by me is optimal. If periodically the illumination indicators are higher, this is not dangerous, given that the illumination of a book on the street in bright sunny weather reaches 100,000 lux.
The question is often asked: What is more dangerous, excessive lighting or insufficient?
With regard to redundancy, you can not worry, much more often in life we are faced with the most unpleasant fact - under-lighting. It is worth remembering that if you underestimate the required illumination by half, the muscular apparatus of the eyes tenses up 8 times more. And therefore, it is not so important what kind of lighting is used: artificial or natural, incandescent or fluorescent. It is important that this light is not enough in principle. And then what is the point of treating the same myopia, spasm of accommodation, amblyopia, which we talked about in previous classes, if a child who has improved his vision again plunges into an insufficiently lit environment. Again there is optical discomfort, a spasm of accommodation is formed again, conditions are again created for the progression of myopia. And for those who do not yet have it, the conditions for its emergence appear.
A common question: which lamps are better - incandescent or fluorescent?
The advantage behind fluorescent lamps, the so-called fluorescent lamps. This advantage lies in the fact that the radiation of such lamps is much closer to the spectrum of natural sunlight than incandescent lamps. The only drawback that fluorescent lamps can have is flicker. However, in recent years, the designs of these lamps exclude such a phenomenon. If you have a fluorescent lamp, you should know the rule: look at it with peripheral vision, i.e. look not at the lamp itself, but nearby, since it is the periphery of the retina that reacts to flicker. And if you do not feel flickering with peripheral vision, then the lamp is suitable for lighting. If you feel flickering with peripheral vision, then replace the lamp immediately.
Frequently asked question: Doctor, if you are talking about sufficient lighting for a book or notebook, then tell me, is it necessary to turn on the general light?
Necessarily, since the retina does not like constant contrasts. This also applies to the room where the TV is located, that is, the TV should never be watched in a dark room. The general light must always be on. At the same time, it is unacceptable that the lamp, whether it be ceiling, wall, is reflected on the TV screen.
How to check it?
Very simply, turn off the TV, turn on the lights, and if they are reflected, and you see them reflected on the screen, then either turn it around or move the light, avoiding this phenomenon of reflection. By the way, this also applies to the monitor screen, which we have colorfully and in detail described in our publication "Computer Ergonomics".
