Compact fluorescent lamps have no noticeable flicker, as far as I can tell. Are these lamps causing health problems for some people? I am aware that certain frequencies of flickering light can induce seizures. I suspect that there will always be a market for incandescent lamps, but they will become less common within a decade or so. Given that fluorescent lighting is now the standard in retail stores, it must be difficult for people who are sensitive to this light source.

Florey,
I was just scanning this site and opened up this line of thought. It is of interest to me. I have never heard of the theory that flourescent lights might be connected to all or some of these illnesses.
This past summer, I got an inkling that there might be something to it.
In 1985, I had what seemed to be a bad ear infection....however, when I went to the doctor, he could find no evidence. He prescribed an anti-biotic (Tetracycline) and sent me on my way. Awhile later I was back at his office, dizzy, roaring and pain in my ears, and general queasy feeling to my stomach. These symptoms were diagnosed at first as effects of stress...and then as Meniere's disease. After I had lost a large amount of hearing in my right ear and passed out while driving to work one day,(I was a teacher and there were flourescent lights in the room I had been assigned to in '85.) I was put on sick leave for a year and a half. There were many different diagnoses, but none of them correct.
Gradually the symptoms went away except for a residual buzzing in my ear. I returned to work in a room that had fewer flourescent lights than my old room.
After I retired, I began to feel much better, until this summer in Italy, when we went into a supermarket in an old building, which had an overpowering number of flourescent lights. Suddenly the dizziness was back...I began wearing my sunglasses whenever we entered that store. I know the lights caused my discomfort.
Now, I read the title of your article and would like to learn more about this. Could you give me some idea of where to look for this information? Thank you, you may just have solved the mystery for me. Lina.

Hi laa laa, just found your post. I know 7 people with the illnesses mentioned in the title. They can't stay in stores with flors. for very long, and always avoid some particular stores.

The wiki site on meniere's mentions fluors as a trigger.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9ni%C3%A8re's_disease

Sure glad to hear that your meniere's retreated, at least for a while. It sounds like it got pretty ornery with you. Did you notice any other triggers such as diet?

Here's a resource that has clear introductory info on meniere's disease, which most people have never heard of. Over 3 million people have it, and there are several triggers.
http://www.meei.harvard.edu/patient/meniere.php

Avoidance of the triggers salt [and sodiums, including MSG], alcohol, and caffeine, tobacco too, help. If you go over a VERY low salt intake- like under 200mg - in one meal, and your ear starts buzzing louder, sometimes a hershey bar or two, after that salt, can help.

The big info site, that sells vitamins, menieresinfo.com, is honest and thorough. They care and have a lot of detailed info,and good vitamins, but if you contact them, you will get deluged with vitamin sales emails. Thats too bad, because vitamins seem to help, but quality in stores seems to have tumbled. Here's the link: http://www.menieresinfo.com/moretopics.html#travel

Some sites have surprising tidbits of info. One medicine, can cause deafness, so you may want to make sure your pharmacist knows you have meniere's.
http://books.google.com/books?id=ETMWzoDCqvUC&pg=PA385&lpg=PA385&dq=meniere's+erythromycin&source=web&ots=-PQ-GW3KO_&sig=2Xch1u3J6f9cbkJS_4VVgURAPyQ

I think there are a couple of chat sites for inner ear probs. too. If anyone has more, detailed, info, it would be great to have.

Florey,
I just happened to return to the site this evening and saw your response...thanks for the references.....You asked about 'trigger foods' It was so long ago,.... I stayed away from flour for several months and this seemed to help. I still am not certain if abstaining from flour did it or if the problem was just getting better gradually. It is really difficult to avoid flour in the U.S.....Soy sauce has flour as the main ingredient and so do several candy bars..such as either Milky Way or Snickers......Seemingly, the manufacturers make the bulk of these foods with flour to get a larger product at a cheaper cost....and keep their profits.

Yes, they bring on an instantaneous head pain; it happened last night while shopping in an outlet store. I started to actually get physcially sick also. I noticed now, that dark chocolate will also set my head off. But the lights kill me, and cause knock down pain. Always have done this to me.

Florey..and Longleggs,
It has been a long time since you first posted this website, Florey....These last few days the buzzing in my ears has been louder than normal and then by accident, I stumbled on this entry again....How are you, both of you now?,...I hope you are well with minimum problems healthwise...If you see this, I'd like to hear how you are. Lina