British Ophthalmologist Warns Against Low-Energy Bulbs

Risk of cataracts and Macular degeneration could be exacerbated, he says.

One of the UK’s leading eye experts believes that low-energy light bulbs could lead to blindness because they emit high peaks of blue and ultraviolet light. “If you are in a country with high levels of ultraviolet light, your eyes will age faster,” says John Marshall, professor of ophthalmology at the University College London Institute of Ophthalmology. “This is why the incidence of cataracts is earlier and greater nearer the equator, where sunlight is at its strongest, so there is more light across all spectrums. (Low-energy bulbs) may have a similar effect.” Marshall, who has stockpiled a personal supply of the incandescent bulbs no longer sold in the European Union adds that “The exposure can also significantly increase your risk of macular degeneration. The biggest risk factor for this is age, as it commonly starts to affect people from 60 to 80. You will almost certainly exacerbate that risk with low-energy light bulbs.”

Read more at The Independent