Are Strobe Lights Dangerous to Eyes?
Strobe lights present minimal danger to your eyes in most circumstances. However, some medical conditions can heighten strobe and general light sensitivity. Flashing strobes such as those found in nightclubs present a slightly different challenge for the human eye compared to photographic strobes, but each can be used safely in most circumstances. Does this Spark an idea?
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Understanding Eye Damage
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Warnings against looking directly at the sun may have surrounded you since early childhood. Looking directly at the sun can indeed cause eye damage, but the ultraviolet rays cause the most damage to the rods and cones, which are the light receptors in your eyes. Strobe lights do not emit UV rays, so permanent damage is less likely from these light sources.
Temporary Damage
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Looking directly into a strobe light, which is easy to do with photographic strobes when posing for a portrait, can cause temporarily impaired vision. Your vision may blur slightly due to retina irritation, or you may have trouble distinguishing contrast due to the rod and cone cells adapting to the change. The effects vary according to whether the surrounding area is dark or bright and by personal sensitivity. However, no studies have shown permanent eye damage from bright strobe lights.
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Increased Risk
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Certain medications make people more light-sensitive than normal. This includes an increased sensitivity to visible light, not just UV emissions. Anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and beta blockers may increase the risk of developing retina damage from bright light, according to a study by Dr. Joan Roberts, et.al., published in the "New England Journal of Medicine." If you are concerned about being around strobe lights and are on any prescription medication, ask your doctor about whether the medication increases your light sensitivity.
Other Strobe Dangers
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The primary reason you may see warning signs in areas where strobe lights are used is the risk of triggering epileptic seizures. Although uncommon, some epileptic people are sensitive to flashing light. This is called photosensitive epilepsy, and it affects between 90,000 and 150,000 Americans. Strobes that flash fewer than 5 or greater than 30 times per second reduce the risk of triggering seizures, according to the Epilepsy Foundation.
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