I used to think that it was always a fantastic idea to replace all the incandescent light Bulbs in your house with compact fluorescent light bulbs instead. For the most part I still think that’s true, but not in all cases.

A number of months ago I started to get headaches in the back of my head. Sometimes I would also get them around my left eye. I wasn’t sure what was causing my headaches at the time so I went to see a couple of doctors as well as a physio therapist.

This went on for a few months. It was suggested that I just spent way too much time in front of a computer and not enough time exercising and getting some fresh air. Well…for the most part that is also true.

So, I did just that. I got away from my computer more and started an exercise program with a lot of fresh air. It was great. But as soon as I got back on my computer, which was usually in the evenings, I started to get headaches again if I stayed on any longer than about one hour.

I finally did some online research and came across an article that suggested that one reason many people get headaches is because they are in close proximity with flourescent Light Bulbs, especially the compact variety.

Fluorescent tubes are different than compact Fluorescent Bulbs because tubes are usually installed on a ceiling, which is at usually some distance away from any individual (unless they were standing directly underneath it). compact bulbs, on the other hand, can be screwed into any desk lamp.

Well…guess what? My desk lamp is always no more than about two feet away from me. Sometimes I would be on my computer for hours and hours seven days a week with my desk lamp on pretty well the whole time. What was worse was that my computer desk was on the north side of my house with only a small window to direct in some ambient light.

I changed that one Fluorescent light bulb with a regular incandescent 60 watt light bulb. After about two weeks or so, my headaches vanished. Wow, was I happy. Yes, the change in lifestyle certainly helped reduce the severity of my headaches, but I couldn’t eliminate them. Changing that one desk lamp from a flourescent bulb to an incandescent bulb really seemed to do the trick…so far!

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So, what are some other Pros and Cons of Fluorescent Light Bulbs over Incandescent Bulbs:

Before giving the pros and cons I just want you to be aware, if your aren’t already, that some traditional Incandescent Light Bulbs are going to be phased out by 2012.

1. Fluorescent light bulbs use less electricity and this of course is much better for our environment. But, I only changed one light bulb to incandescence. I still have about 20 other fluorescent light bulbs around the house, but I am usually never too close to them any more than a few minutes at a time.

2. Because Fluorescent bulbs are more energy efficient and last much longer than regular incandescent bulbs, they are more preferable if you need lighting for longer than 15 minutes or so.

3. On the other hand, Fluorescent bulbs will not be as efficient if you only need lighting for only a few minutes or so…less than 15 minutes.

4. Compact Fluorescent Bulbs should not be used in ceiling fans. I found this out the hard way. I went through 5 fluorescent bulbs in one year before realizing this. I just kept thinking I had bad bulbs, but it was the vibration from the fan which caused the bulbs inner elements to fail.

5. The thing about using Compact Fluorescent bulbs is that if they are not used properly the savings you realize could significantly diminish. I wasted about $20 by putting these bulbs into my ceiling fan, when I shouldn’t have.

6. Mercury. Yes. All compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury. Mercury can be very toxic and can be dangerous around small kids, especially if they break. I’ve had a few break on me already. I never knew about this at the time, but I sure do now. Expecting mothers also need to be aware of this as it can affect the developing fetus.

7. Because of this, all CFL’s should be taken to a qualified recycling location for disposal. This applies to unbroken or broken bulbs. If you live close to Home Depot, they should be able to direct you as to who accepts fluorescent bulbs for recycling.

8. I mentioned above that I had a few broken fluorescent bulbs already. I just cleaned it up and threw it in the garbage. This was not right. But I never knew that CFL’s contained the hazardous material, mercury. If you do break or come across a broken compact fluorescent bulb, find an Environmental Protection Agency’s website and seek information to help you with cleanup instructions.

As I mentioned above, I use incandescent lighting on my computer desk, because it can and does cause headaches if you are around it too long. Yes, it’s not as energy efficient, but for one light bulb, my own health is more important.

Technology is also improving and hopefully, this technology will help extend the life of incandescent light bulbs. New technology that looks extremely promising for the future is in the light emitting diode (LED). Light emitting diodes have been in use for some time already, but the time may soon come when all houses will be equipped with these very energy efficient and safer alternatives.

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