by Corban Burns

Created on: April 26, 2009   Last Updated: April 28, 2009

"Light pollution, also known as photo-pollution or luminous pollution, is excessive or obtrusive artificial light." This is how it is defined in the Webster Dictionary. Many metropolitan cities have this problem on their hands. But, some believe light pollution is more of a nuisance than a risk to our health.

It is true that there are no medical studies that currently provevia hard core evidencethat light pollution can cause cancer. Nevertheless, there are numerous other health problems that are due to excessive exposure to bright lights, either in closed or enclosed atmospheres.

1. Increased headaches.

2. Excessive fatigue

3. Medically defined chronic stress

4. Increased anxiety

5. Elevated blood pressure

(1) All can agree that we are faced with enough issuesa bad economy, job security, mortgage payments, and whether or not you will have insurance from work the next day. However, several interesting studies have shown the link between the bright lights and severe headaches.

(2) The fatigue experienced by many office workers if often contributed to the fluorescent lights used in many buildings. The effects are usually subtle. But in one case it took over 3 months for the fatigue to set in. More importantly, it restricted the office manager to a hospital bed for one week. Researchers have not yet establish nor identified the substance or ingredient within the fluorescent lights that causes this fatigued reaction.

(3) One of the most serious effects of exposure to bright lights is the medically defined chronic stress. Most are aware of that chronic stress is potentially damaging to the body and even the mentally. Features of chronic stress include:

upset stomach
ulcers
headache
backache
insomnia
anxiety
depressi on
anger
hypertension
hemorrhoids varicose veins
People who have experienced the effects of medically defined stress have been to say that they will never be the same. Research shows that for some people the bright lights puts the mind through a semi-traumatic experience and the results of that vary from person to person.

(4) Anxiety comes from all directions today. We get it from our peers, bosses, parents, kids, household responsibilities and the list goes on. But have you ever thought of the anxiety you could get from just sitting under bright lights too long? Interestingly, the average office worker spends two-thirds of the day under fluorescent light bulbs. The effect is your body, particularly the brain, begins to work harder, faster. Though this seems to be a positive

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