Fluorescent lights. (And disbelief.)

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As some of you know, I've been making a documentary on Aspergers and the autism spectrum for my Media coursework. Quite a bit of the filming is finished, so I asked the teacher to show me the editing room.

After I'd been there for about an hour, I was feeling increasingly nauseous and distracted. After concentrating for a few seconds, I realised this was caused by a continuous humming/buzzing noise in the background. At first I thought it was the computers (a lot of unused ones had been left on), so I figured I'd ask if I could turn them off in future when they weren't being used, so I could work with less distracting noise. But when I went to shut the room down to leave (I was the only one in there by that time), the noise didn't stop until I'd turned the lights off. Terrific. I spoke to one of the technical people, who said he'd tell maintenance, but that they tend to be slow getting to such things, and that telling the Media teacher might help. So I went to the Media teacher, who was extremely dismissive and didn't seem to believe me. (He goes into the room a fair amount, and it's possible he either can't hear the noise, or it doesn't sound loud enough to him to be a problem.)

Has anyone else had issues with pervasive noises that others can't hear, or can hear but don't have a problem with?

Oh absolutely, both wtith sounds and smells that many folks don't hear or smell until I point them out.

Howeer, unless you are particularly sensitive (and some of us are) my guess is that the buzzing is because the tubes are old and/or dirty and should be replaced before they start to flicker and die. (And before I forget, there's a trick that works once in a while with flourescent tubes--shut the lights off and leave them off for a few minutes. Then pop them back on--sometimes you can be rid of the hum/buzz for awhile). Also, while this may not be feasible, can you work in there with a desk lamp and the overhead lights off?

In any case, your media teacher is clueless.

It's a tough point when it comes to sound and scent issues in workplaces. I'm still trying to come up with a forthright way to say, "For health issues this sound/scent issue has to be addressed." All too often, I end up apologetic and feeling like the freak of the week with the person I'm trying to explain this stuff too. I'm beginning to suspect that maybe the "trying to explain" part is what is doing in my argument for changing the situation.

Good luck with that.

-- keats

Some florescent lights are horrible always thought I was the only one to hear it but have met a few others who do also. Grocery stores are the worst for noise all the refrigeration units and lighting not to mention all the people My television makes a very high pitched noise also which my wife hears sometimes but I always do. Sometimes I can tune it out but it can be very stressful and I always have to go somewhere away from the noise after

The plug I got with my modem had to change as it hums, also them fancy designer led hang down lights hum, I keep telling people doesn't that noise bother you - they say what noise...

Don't know about the hum in the school type lights - as only some do it to me maybe we can hear the motor before it's going to blow soon... would like to find out about that... tests done with equipment to mod the sound so they can hear it....

Also would like to point out it's a known fact you don't want to ask a adult to hear a sound as they hearing goes on dif freq as you get older - so can't really ask them want a young kid..

I've always had trouble with horrible noises and lights in workplaces. Here's one solution that worked: I bought a grow-light (for plants) tube to replace the buzzing/flickering one. And I got *very* pushy about making them use it. They seem to think God will strike them dead where they stand if they use an unauthorized light bulb. Maybe it's a union thing. Anyway, those grow-lights are better-spectrum (if not full-spectrum) - just check the old one for size. Once I stood on my desk and changed it myself, after everybody else went home.

otoh, if the fixture itself is defective, nothing will fix it. Good luck!

yeah i posted about noises too.. right now the buzz from christmas lights is driving me nuts.. on the bright side, i can hear the water coming through the pipes so when the water comes i am ready to fill up (i live in brasil, water comes and goes where i live, dont take things like that for granted guys)

Sometimes new flourescent bulbs (at least compact ones) don't buzz but instead have a sort of high pitched whine which I think is worse than the buzz. But I am very sensitive to certain noises- I have categories for them- very bad (this includes things like microwave beeps), bad (less annoying ones but things that still are very irritating), neutral, good, and great.

For very bad and bad sounds I like to use either ear plugs or headphones. Some really nice (and very expensive) noise canceling headsets like pilot aviation headsets have inputs and adapters for cd players, computer, tv, mp3, etc. Maybe you could use something like that?

But yeah, everyone thinks I'm crazy because I think the microwave beep is a terrible terrible sound...

I have the SAME problem! My first hearing test, I had trouble passing because I kept telling them what I could hear, not what they figured I should tell them! At a customer site, I was the ONLY one that couldn't hear the locusts! WHY? Because they sounded like the airconditioner a half block away! Iwas on an A319 plane, and everyone thought I was NUTS because I complained about the blinking lights(the ones INSIDE to light the cabin). It turns out they blink until the engines come on but, although it bugs me a LOT, the average person can't see it!! !!

It is a well documented autistic trait! In wikipedia:

Steve

Apparently some people (many on the spectrum and those with epilepsy) can sense that fluorescent lights are flashing, this is because the brain is not screening out the flicker, we pick up the noise of the light and the brightness of the light. I have a real problem with light it makes me feel really tired and dizzy. I'm looking into tinted lenses to alleviate the problem.

Actually, florescent lights have an odd glow I am not to crazy about, but I don't think it is really a flicker. The problems I have are 3 fold!

1. A bulb WILL start to blink before it starts to BLINK when it goes bad. EVERYONE notices that LAST blink sequence, but it seems normal people don't notice the first one.

2. Partially ionized gas will cause a rolling effect. I don't know if normal people notice that, but **I** certainly do!

3. A bad or improper balast can cause a hum. The frequency can vary a LOT! The oldest ones ALWAYS made noise. In most cases, I think normal people don't hear it!

Steve

Interestingly, I have never noticed an abnormal sensitivity to quite sounds or dim/flickering lights when awake. I need a quiet and dark room to fall asleep at night, but at other times neither really bothers me. Interestingly, my mom told me about a month ago that one time when I was a little kid I would run and hide whenever she turned on the blender. Obviously the noise had been hurting my ears or something. A similar thing was true of me at one time with power tools, though in both of these cases the sound was plenty audible for anyone to hear.

In fact, sometimes I think that I might have a reduced sensitivity to some sounds. For instance, the famous "nails on a chalkboard" sound doesn't bother me even when it's loud enough that many others are holding their ears and acting startled. It's not that I can't hear it--when my ears were tested once my pediatrician remarked that I had incredibly good hearing at high frequencies. This doesn't translate into me being bothered more by squeaky sounds though.

About lights, I have always liked blinking/flashing lights somewhat. I remember taking those christmas lights with the variable blinking rate (they have a knob and they "chase" faster or slower when you turn it) into my room and blocking out all light. Then I would turn them on and adjust the blink rate to try to find the frequency where they would induce the greatest stimulation of my nervous system (i.e. make me the most excited). The effect wouldn't be huge, but it was something different to do during Christmas time. I think I might try it today to see if it still works as well (warning--epileptics should NOT try this). Again, though, of course anyone could see these lights. I remember once I had a set of lights with 8 different blinking patterns strung around the inside of the windows in my room and I used to be in there with them lit up. My parents (who are not on the autism spectrum) could barely stand to go in there at that time.

I’m not real crazy about fluorescent bulbs myself. The harsh light and the sounds they make are very distracting to me. In my office (with no windows) I put in full spectrum bulbs but only have 2 tubes per fixture instead of 4. This helps a lot and thinking of reducing it to 1 tube with a special adapter that lets you do it.
http://www.crslight.com/pages/full-spec ... -bulbs.htm

There is also a sleeve you can put on the tubes and rotate to reduce the amount of light.
http://www.ergomart.com/FLUORESCENT_LIG ... er-dtl.htm

Fortunately the ballast don’t make much noise in my office although the one in the hallway outside my office does. Fortunately the computer fan drowns it out as white noise and that doesn’t bother me too much.


-Scott

arrrrghhhhh!! !! ! just seeing the words 'fluorescent lights' is enough to give me serious sensory hell!

i had a meeting at the NAS yesterday, and i made everybody sit in the dark because of those bloody things now you would have thought that the NAS of all places would have normal lighting, but no.... even worse, they were those ones in silvery reflective grilles, which are extra harsh and blinding

but the worst has to be ultra-violent UV tubes, which is just pure pain to my retina its annoying because i like the effect it has of making things glow, but UV light itself is really painful.

i have a pair of strongly tinted glasses which makes both sorts of lights more tolerable. but they're no substitute for just turning the bloody things off! and that whinybuzzyhummy noise drives me crazy. i don't know who invented them but he sure had a grudge against autistics!

Cheap, old fluroescent lamps with magnetic ballasts are particularly annoying to me. You might want to ask the studio operator to put an incandescant lamp in there and turn off the overheads while you are working with them. You could also bring one from home. It's probably out of the range of them to do, but replacing the magnetic ballasts with solid-state ballasts will definitely get rid of the home. This is because magnetic ballasts operate on the line frequency of 60 hz. Solid state ballasts raise the frequency to make the light more efficient. Many even power the lights off of D.C. current. Kyethra noticed the high frequency squeal. This is common with many of the cheaper solid-state ballasts, like the ones used in replacement compact fluroescent bulbs. One of the nice things about more expensive fluorescent lamps too is that they have better phospors in them and give out a wider range of light.

The thing that rakes my head and makes me go stir-crazy mad are the fryer alarms at fast-food restaruants. Those stupid things always seem to go off all at once and make terrible beat-frequency harmonics. I was standing in line at McDonalds one day, and had my fingers in my ears when one went off. A few people asked me what is wrong as I was whincing too. They agreed with me that the fryers were annoying too!

I'm not really sure what effects flourescent lighting, or low frequency sounds have on me. I know sometimes in classrooms the lighting is particularly bright because of flourescent bulbs, and I would probably be more comfortable with them off, but I do fine with them on. As long as I don't stare at them they don't bother me.

As far as sounds go, it's always the loud sounds that bother me. Sounds like gunshots, balloons popping, fireworks, thunder, or car horns send me into a panic. Also I do not like loud talkers. I have had some teachers that just talked too loud so it was frightening and intimidating. I don't talk very loud, so my family often tells me to speak up. I find this hard because when I do, it sounds like I'm shouting which is irritating to me. I think I probably hear things louder than most people do.

Overall I think I have some sensitivities, but not too severe.

Same here...

With fluorescent lights, they used to give me headaches and even a bit of nausea, and the hum is enough to drive a person insane! However, I don't know if it's because I'm older now, or if the type of flurescent light I am exposed to at work (full spetrum?) is different but I find it bothers me a lot less.

The simple thought of knowing a balloon may pop or an alarm may go off is enough to increase my heart-rate by about 30% and make me feel an adrenaline rush, so loud and painful it feels to me.

Repeating noises (like the ticking of a clock, the clicking of a radiator, or the neighbor's subwoofer through the wall at 3 in the morning) when all else is quiet are amplified tenfold in my head, and can distract me to no end.

Hehe, I went though a phase as a teenager where when my radiator was clicking at night when I was trying to sleep, I would get up and kick it repeatedly. For some reason I thought this helped...