A yellow-tinted moment

[ElviraKate]

A weird thing happened last night, reading my Kindle (bog-standard, no frontlight) with the bedside table lamp (LED candle, 3.4W, 2700K). It was if the lamplight had suddenly got brighter and yellower. It then went back to normal - the Kindle screen went from pale yellow back to pale grey-white. This happened once more before I got spooked and turned the light out. I would put it down to the LED going funny, except that I've noticed that often when I draw my curtains in the mornings, the world outside looks oddly yellow for a moment, and then returns to normal. Has anyone else had this experience? I also have those early morning round greyish splodges people have been talking about, which behave rather like after-images and fade quite quickly.

[sunshine00]

LED light has been found to be bad for the retinas, so maybe change your bulbs.

[ElviraKate in reply to sunshine00]

Why is it bad? And why should it cause the colour-change?

[sunshine00 in reply to ElviraKate]

I really don't know why, but I have seen a couple articles about the LED's being 'not good' for retinas. Use your search engine of choice and you will find it.

[StokeySue]

It seems that the internet is flooded with recommendations that blue light from LED may damage the retina,. However none of them seem to reference any clinical evidence, and in a search of scientific papers on Google Scholar I could only find studies in albino lab rats so I’m not going to panic. I really like my LED lights, not getting rid of them without good evidence.

[ElviraKate in reply to StokeySue]

Thank you - I have to say I groan when people just write 'look it up on the internet'. As if we're not all googling frantically about stuff all the time! I like my LEDs too, not as much as the halogens which give beautiful clear colour-true light, but they are fine and in any case lamp LEDs are usually within a translucent bulb so the light is well diffused.

I haven't had a repeat of the startling 'yellow moment', so am hoping it was either a one-off or something to do with the light bulb....

Meanwhile, here's a really good article about LED light and exactly what about it that is bad:

qz.com/1620931/blue-lights-...

[StokeySue in reply to ElviraKate]

I've had a few bits of yellowing myself - I think it maybe related to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, where your eyes don't respond well to looking towards or away from a light source, but that's just what it feels like to me not real science.

I was sufficiently concerned to ask a contact who works in research connected to macular degeneration and retinal disease, I think her response is a resounding "maybe", this is what she said this morning: -

"Blue light can cause damage in animal models, as far as I know, no one has tested this in actual humans, it's not really ethical to go shining blue LEDs into peoples eye to try and cause damage, but there is evidence that it can damage human eye cells grown in culture"

What nobody seems to have done is an observational study, i.e. do people who like me use a lot of LED light suffer any deterioration? May be too soon to tell of course

[Hidden in reply to StokeySue]

All I can say about LEDs us that by and large I hate them. They tend to glare but put little light on the surface. It is a strangely ”thin” and insubstantial light.

The worst are street lights which are over bright and yet result in dark patches at ground level. I suspect that is because they are not used with reflectors unlike most earlier light sources.

[rosyG in reply to ElviraKate]

think that was meant to be helpful advice- and not everyone this of the internet if they are of a certain age.......

[Catseyes235]

Only time I had yellowvision was on a sunny day in the heatwave of ‘76 with undiagnosed thyroid problems (I was cold and putting clothes on!) My stupid doctor said laughing that I may have a jaundiced view of life.

I have invested in the LED daylight bulbs for sitting room and kitchen which I find are so much more restful on my eyes.

Yes I do online research too but always check sources, what or who things are tested on and especially how many. Amazing how much poor research is out there based on a study of a few people often self selected.

[cwc123]

Hi ElviraKate

About three years ago I was diagnosed with myopic macular degeneration which has since been changed to a diagnosis of PIC (punctate inner choroidopathy). My first symptom was yellow patches in my vision of the affected eye, particularly noticeable when looking at a light object. I think these patches corresponded to the blind spots I later experienced (though not 100%sure). I have asked all the doctors, opticians and consultants and none of them have had any reports of this nature from any other patients. I would be interested to know if anyone else has experienced anything similar.

[ElviraKate in reply to cwc123]

Hallo cwc123, the yellow was uniform, rather as if the light source had changed, or if I'd suddenly put on yellow glasses. It wasn't patchy and went away again. I do have intermittent weird patches like after-images (ie I can see them with my eyes closed and they are refreshed by light, but fade after a bit) but they aren't yellow. It is so difficult, isn't it, to get accurate and consistent descriptions and assessments of what's going on in our eyes. I have an appointment at Moorfields on Saturday week, so keping my fingers crossed.