10/30/2025
Let's talk about your nervous system health...
Did you know LED 💡flickers at extremely high speed mainly due to the voltage fluctuations or issues with the electrical voltage?
While most people never consciously “see” LED flicker, our eyes and brains can still detect and respond to it, and that can have real physiological and neurological effects depending on the frequency and intensity.
🧠 How Flicker Affects the Brain and Body
1. Visual Fatigue and Eye Strain
Even high-frequency flicker (above the visible range) can cause the eye’s muscles to work harder to stabilize vision, leading to:👁👁 eye strain and tension
Dryness or a burning sensation
Difficulty focusing or blurry vision after prolonged exposure
This is often described as feeling like “screen fatigue” 🥱 but can occur under certain LED lights too — especially in offices, HOSPITALS, or retail settings with cheaper bulbs.
2. Headaches and Migraines
Research shows that light flicker between 3–70 Hz can trigger headaches or migraines in sensitive individuals.
While most LED flicker is much faster than that, people who are prone to migraines can still be affected by:
Subharmonic flicker frequencies (produced by dimming or poor drivers)
Cumulative neurological stress from prolonged exposure
Migraine sufferers often describe throbbing behind the eyes or increased light sensitivity after time under certain LEDs.
3. Neurological and Cognitive Symptoms
Subconscious flicker has been associated with:
Reduced visual performance and slower reaction times
Concentration problems and irritability
Fatigue or a “wired but tired” feeling after long exposure
🧠 These effects are believed to result from low-level neural stimulation in the visual cortex — your brain is constantly adjusting to tiny changes in light intensity, which can tax cognitive resources.
4. Sleep Disruption 😴
If LED flicker coincides with high blue-light output (common in cool-white LEDs), it can:
Suppress melatonin production
Disrupt circadian rhythms
Delay sleep onset or reduce sleep quality
This is especially problematic in phones ☎️, TVs 🖥, and LED lighting💡 used in the evening.
5. Photosensitive Reactions
For a small subset of individuals with photosensitive epilepsy, flickering lights in the 3–70 Hz range can trigger seizures.
This isn’t typical of most household LEDs, but poor-quality dimmers, signage, or decorative LEDs can sometimes operate in this frequency range and pose a risk.
The more you know
