Is LED Lighting Bad For You?

Is LED Lighting Bad For You?

We often talk about the dangers of blue light in relation to our screen use.

If you've been following us, you'll be aware of the impact blue light from LED screens has on your health.

But what's less commonly spoken about is LED lighting and the impact of blue light from our everyday light sources.

LED lighting often goes unnoticed as it is considered an inevitable part of our homes, our offices, and our lives.

Ocushield has developed a new product to help counter this phenomenon.

Dangers of LED Lighting


The western world's movement to LED lighting is purely a matter of efficiency.

John O’Hagan of Public Health England, points out 95% of what is produced by traditional incandescent lightbulbs is heated, and 5% is light. If you've ever tried removing a light bulb just after switching off your light, you'll know how that feels!

LEDs also have added the benefit of being thinner, lighter and longer-lasting, with stunning color resolution.

The ISO has long recognized the dangers of blue light and has regulated the intensity of LED emissions from our phones.

LED lighting is much brighter as you are not expected to stare at it for long periods of time. Indirect exposure we receive from ambient lighting has not been considered or even clinically trialed yet.

How LED Lighting Affects Your Vision


Contrary to what the eye perceives, not all light is the same. We see light as a white or yellowish color where in fact the light is filled with the many colors.

Depending on your bulb, you may be being exposed to different colors of light in your home. But how do we differentiate between them, and how do they affect us?

There are three main types of light types - incandescent, fluorescent (CFL) and LED.


Above, we see that cool white LED lighting has a steep and consistent hill of blue light between the 380-450 nm region in comparison to incandescent and CFL lights.

The safest source of blue light is incandescent light, as fluorescent lights can spike in blue light around 430 nm. Interestingly, not all LED lighting can be bad if you have a warm white LED. This reduces most of the blue light exposure.

Introducing the Oculamp



The Oculamp, which helps you combat the effects of blue light on your eyes, your health and your sleep.

You reduce the amount of blue light emitted from the lamp by cycling through three “temperature” variants.

Cool White <5400k> / Super Bright

For when you want your space at its brightest. This can also help to stimulate your body in the mornings to wake you up

Neutral White <4200k> / Calm White

Kinder on eyes, better for long periods of work. With diffused light and no flickering, this setting will make working more comfortable.

Warm White <3100k> / Night Mode

To help wind down for the evening. This setting has the least blue light, easing your eyes and improving the release of melatonin into your brain.

The figures you see in K means Kelvins - this is associated with the color or "temperature" of the light.


How we reviewed this article:

Ocushield has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version
October 21, 2020

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