Green-enriched light provides new hope for migraine sufferers and everyday benefits
A green-enriched light is being used at the Dr. Bondy Headache Center. (Credit: Nina Sharp, Arizona State University)
New research may offer a bit of hope for those whose lives are disrupted by migraine headaches, and the solution may already be in doctors’ offices. Not only that, the benefits may extend to everyone in their daily lives.
Big picture view:
Researchers at Arizona State University’s The Design School found that green-enriched white light could provide relief for people suffering from a migraine attack and may keep them from retreating into a dark room for relief. The green-enriched light looks like normal lighting but appears to reduce visual discomfort and headache intensity.
What they're saying:
ASU’s Nina Sharp, who participated in the study, explained that the "neuro-optimized white light" would decrease the visual discomfort of patients both during and between attacks.
"It significantly decreased visual discomfort in healthy individuals," she continued. "It significantly increased cognitive performance in both groups, and in patients with migraine, between and during attacks. And also, it significantly reduced headache intensity in patients with migraine."
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Everyday benefits
Why you should care:
Researchers spent two years trying to find the right balance of colors that would provide the benefits of the green-enriched white light and that could still be used in everyday environments, Sharp said, adding that better lighting can benefit everyone.
Dig deeper:
Sharp foresees installing these types of lights anywhere lighting is normally placed, from regular lamps to ceiling fixtures, and letting them provide "an active, beneficial and therapeutic layer in buildings" without people needing to do anything but use them.
"I just want to, for people to know that there is a better solution, there is a better option for the lighting environment, and I want them to know that light is so powerful and can impact how they live, how they feel and how they do their work," Sharp said.
What's next:
A new startup is already trying to take advantage of the researchers’ findings by developing neuro-optimized lighting that people can buy. The lighting system is also set up at the Dr. Bondy Headache Center in Fountain Hills, Arizona, where the lights are getting their first clinical use in patient-care spaces.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.