Computer Monitor LCD Headache, Eye Pain, & Worse

Monitor Pain Home - Intro to Criminallergy

Computers and mice make us ill
Epoxies outgas like to kill
Strong phosphors so silent
They seem quite non-violent
Yet prove worse than some poisoned pill!

Refrain:
Electromagnetics are BURNING issues, STEALTHILY BURNING bodywide tissues...
Chemicals, phosphors are CHURNING issues, STEADILY CHURNING sensitive tissues

Carpal Tunnel are words that distract
Ergonomics detract from the fact
That epoxy and phosphor
emissions are dire
Just when will they clean up their act?

(above can be sung to the tune of Popeye or other)

"Criminallergy" and "Trojan Horse" are more apt terms than mere "hidden allergy" for the havoc triggered by computers in the form of degenerative symptoms including abdominal/stomach pain (due to speeded metabolism), heart palpitations, achy muscles, & bone pain, resulting in premature aging. How many of us are aware that computer monitors are similar to hidden allergies in that we allow ourselves to become SUBTLY poisoned by high-tech toxins and emissions no different than to foods that trigger hidden allergies? See, they're often cumulative (vs. immediate reaction), thus our non-awareness. They're even worse than hidden food allergies - they're stealthy criminallergies! Furthermore, socialized medicine doesn't acknowledge Quantum-Physics-based diagnostics, nor do they even cover Doctors Data testing. Rather, those retards drone questions from a script: "Do you drink coffee? Smoke? NEVER do they ask: "How much fluorescent exposure do you have?" That's why the toxic culprits remain camouflaged amidst the many other modern stressors, which often act as decoys. Other decoys bandied about by "RoboDoctors" are: "Ergonomics" and "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome". "Oh? Then please explain to me, Mr. RoboDoc, why do my wrists/hands AND my ankles/feet get numb & painful after exposure to fluorescense?"

While there are many sites related to computer health issues, this one relates my personal story as well as offering survey/board/keyword links to serve as testimonials. For example:

Also, this site eclectively offers many theories via formal & grassroots links which debunk the tunnel-visioned "solutions" of various experts.

Granted, the professional confidence of the "experts" may have you convinced of any one of their isolated conclusions (such as misguidedly assuming that all LCDs are problem-free, because they don't bother to read grassroots testimonials such as those found in this site's links, as well as the Polls & Posts board where I've linked to a post by people complaining re: their LED laptops). So, if you prefer black and white, by all means, you're welcome to it. However, if you seek the as-yet-unresolved bigger picture then read on...

As you may note upon reviewing my links, there are various manifestations of visual stress, for example Irlen Syndrome, photosensitive epilepsy, and snow blindness. Are the three conditions related? After reading about them, it seems to me there's some overlap, and that the color white is an antagonist. Also note the M.C. Battilano link which offers testimonials by CRT owners who thought LCDs would improve their situation, but instead found their situations worsened.

Then there are those, such as one of my board members, who insisted that dental mercury replacement is a cure-all. That's NOT true, despite the above Mercury Poster I created to alert people of mercury as a factor. Yet another board member kept narrowly focusing on computer chemicals, ignoring the LIGHT & COLOR issues. (Note the book Why Things Bite Back by Tenner, states that the human eye focuses much more easily on many shades of the grey scale, than on color.) As for chemicals, granted, I've owned chemical-saturated LCDs & TV, so I got rid of them. Yet others were already outgassed. I couldn't seem to get that through to him, probably because he himself only experienced chemical issues, but not photosensitivity issues. These are examples of blind-man-and-elephant syndrome, which runs counter to my site's purpose to consider ALL issues.

It's likely that there are also people out there such as myself, who, upon experiencing health problems, then follow a series of dead-end trails, guided by societal static and medical or technical "experts" on the Internet. For example, they offer all sorts of well-meaning advice, such as the advisability of "upgrading" to an LCD flat-screen monitor since it features lower electromagnetic emissions, is glare-free and flicker-free. Or they might give referrals to all sorts of EMF protection devices, shields, pendants, you name it... as well as strategies such as raising the refresh rate to reduce flicker, or increasing the screen resolution.

For some people, these strategies may indeed prove effective, or partially so; but in my case it was as simple as following my hunch to drag up my ancient Impression3 Plus CRT from the basement, and adjust the dial-knobs until the screen became very dim - and I mean dim. That proved to be a vast improvement over the "emissions-free/flicker-free" over-glorified LCD. Mind you, the emphasis is "improvement" - not solution! And by the way, do not believe that LCDs are free of problems. Some LCDs are worse than CRTs and vice versa. Also do not believe those who say that because LCDs lack "static-cling" that proves they're emissions free. Since I was confused about this, I spoke to a radiation-toxified doctor who seemed to differentiate between static fields and electromagnetic fields.

Yet, note a baffling fact:

Whereas my situation had improved with the old, dim, CRT... yet... when I tried dimming my LCD via the Nvidia Card's Color Correction feature, by adjusting Vibrance, Brightness, Contrast & Gamma, my health problems remained as bad as ever. Does this mean that something else is coming into play here, besides the issue of fluorescent photosensitivity? Maybe just prolonged, direct viewing of light is irritating to photosensitives? Maybe the dimming issue isn't significant because as long as there are fluorescent backlights - they will emit radiation, regardless of whether they're dimmed? Maybe EMFs are the worst culprit in some brands of monitors while chemicals are the worst culprit in other brands - hence various types of symptoms with either? Update (2007): Also, besides the LCD, I've lately developed symptoms in my "mouse hand" making that an added culprit.

To continue with the story, furthermore, Nvidia Card controls are awkward; they're not immediately accessible the way "good 'ole dial knobs" are. Also, unlike the old CRT, if I tried adjusting the white background to be tolerable, the text on the dark-grey toolbars became indistinguishable.

Some additional strategies which were advised, but which didn't really help me are found further down this site, in the "Solutions" area.

My Story

For more than a decade I had been steadily using CRTs, approximately 7 hours a day, at various secretarial jobs I had. First I typed on a huge ancient computer, then later I did data entry on CRTs, followed by typesetting on VariTyper CRT's which had pretty unstable screens. Then in a subsequent job, I used WordPerfect on a Novell CRT-networked system. After that, in the early 90s, I bought my own computer, with DOS, WordPerfect, shareware games and a small-sized CRT. I used it alot. Throughout all these stints, I [seemingly] never had monitor-related problems, though I remember that at my last job, there was a bluish-green-eyed blonde who developed pink eye from working on the terminal so many hours, and she used a green-shaded lamp which seemed to relieve her problems.

Nobody else in the office had that particular problem though. Note my use of the term "seemingly" because I did develop abnormal bleeding and fibromyalgic symptoms at that jobas well as occasional stabbing eye pain. And fluorescence (and chemicals emissions) may well have been the culprits, without my having recognized the connection... to this day, they call it "RSI" - Repetitive Strain Injury - but I now realize it may have been caused by prolonged proximity to the computer monitor, and breathing in the emissions. In fact, John Ott, author, and photobiology type of researcher, noted a link between fluorescence and weakening of muscles. See Sumeria.Net which states:

"Ott contends that another major problem with all gaseous- discharge types of lights, including the mercury vapor and limited- spectrum fluorescent light, is that they emit radiation that grossly weakens muscle strength, affecting both academic achievement and behavior."
2007 UPDATE: I strongly suspect this is the reason behind the Virginia Tech massacre!

Then in '98 I decided it was time to get onto the Net, so I purchased a Compaq Presario system complete with KDS VSX-5 15-inch .28 multimedia CRT, with 13.8" viewable area. I was OK with it sorta, and then I got a free replacement because it began flickering within the warranty period. After using that KDS for awhile, I began noticing health reactions, such as eyes blurring and burning, head-swimming, nauseous and headachy. I also began noticing that my digestive metabolism became "humongous" (I'll dispense with detail...)

So, when that KDS started giving signs of going down south, I put out an S.O.S. on an online tech-support board, explaining my health reactions to the KDS. At the time I'd been informed that this was a metal-related EMF sensitivity issue. (By the way, note too, that some cases of mercury poisoning are also associated with photosensitivity)...

Anyway, on the tech board I explained my health reactions, & asked for a recommendation for an EMF-free monitor. Whereupon a few upper-echelon respondents recommended the Samsung SyncMaster 151s flat-panel LCD as being highly-rated (with low EMF emissions) and definitely worthwhile buying.

As it turned out, they steered me wrong. The SyncMaster is lethal to people with neurological issues, because my health reactions set in with a vengeance! I felt like my body was steadily becoming electrocuted. I suspect that I have neurological issues in common with these two groups:

1. Autistics, some of whom are highly sensitive to fluorescents, as they "hear" them "humming", and
2. Those with Irlen Syndrome and/or Photosensitive Epileptics. Note that I have Fibromyalgia and I had been diagnosed with an imbalanced sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous system, and with hypersensitive, inflamed, nerve-endings.

My Story Continued... Symptoms, Etc.

Among my symptoms to the Samsung SyncMaster LCD:

Burning, blurry eyes; also stabbing eye pain (lately, the stabbing in my left eye has been replaced by eye spasms, while my right eye continues to have the stabbing pain. But believe me, both are painful); excruciating migraine headaches; head swimming; nausea (Note that I used to get migraines & tearing eyes as a child in department stores with fluorescent lighting. I also always had Achoo Syndrome and photosensitivity to the sun);

But even worse was:
Bone pain (perhaps bone degradation caused by inflamed nerves?); "vibrating tingling" teeth; aching muscles; achy wrist pain; hip pain; gnawingness in my abdomen and lower back as if they were being worn away (I would often wake up the next day drained of energy, with stabbing pain in my abdomen, as well as deep achiness in my limbs); terrible kidney pain; urinary tract infection including urge to urinate & abnormal bleeding (note that the Samsung LCD triggered my bleeding whereas the Hewlett Packard CRT symptoms were agonizing too, albeit not in the same way - i.e. no bleeding); and extreme digestive reactions, as compared to the fact that usually, my digestive state is more, shall I say, "strained". In a nutshell, this all amounts to body degeneration.

Tale of 4 bleeders (Also: miscarriages & preemies)

Aside from bleeding urinary tract infection as mentioned above, the biopsy incision in my breast which had nearly closed up began bleeding again, upon exposure to the strong phosphors of the Hewlett Packard CRT. Furthermore, one of my earlobes was diagnosed with a cyst (nanobacteria??) and it's that very earlobe which heats up upon exposure to computer monitor. Maybe calcified nanobacteria get stirred up to act as nerve triggers upon exposure to emissions? Finally, note that besides:

1. my own bleeding experiences, there's also:
2. in the Black On White book pg. 78, by Granlund-Lind, a Swedish woman testified that upon exposure to computers, she'd get terrible bleeding between periods as well as bacterial infections, vaginitis, hair loss, etc. These symptoms were similar to my own! and:
3. a testimonial, also in the Black On White book, by someone whose throat would bleed (pg. 15), and another testimonial by someone who got nosebleeds (pg. 30). and:
4. the Shetreet lawsuit among my links, wherein it mentioned nosebleeds as part of Shetreet's symptoms.)
5. A Nov. 2006 Times article stated that the 30% increase of premature births over the past 20 years confounds doctors. This, despite publication of the book "Invisible Disease" which relates the many miscarriages correlated to computer exposure! On pg. 11, Ms. Nordstrom cites DeMatteo, Canadian author of "Terminal Shock", who noted clusters of miscarriages, premature births, deformed infants, cataracts & more.
6. Pg. 302 of Robert Becker's book "The Body Electric": "Among twelve pregnant Video Display Terminal workers at the Defense Logistics Agency in Marietta, Georgia, there were seven miscarriages and three cases of congenital defects. Four VDT operators in the Toronto Star's classified-ad dept. gave birth to deformed children, while three co-workers who didn't work with VDTs had normal babies. (Note that Becker also cited that cataracts which develop behind the lens are a good marker of irradiation.)

Anyway, out of desperation, I proceeded with various posts to people online about my "EMF" problems, and I got confirmation from at least one other person that his situation was not improved with an LCD flat-panel either. He was the one who recommended all sorts of EMF-protective devices, explaining in detail why he had found some to have more of a "bang" than others. His style was so lucidly convincing, that even though I'd had no luck with a "protective pendant" I had ordered, I decided to try the $300 machine he recommended. But that machine did nothing to help me so I returned it.

I finally decided to follow up on my hunch - and try my 1980's spare CRT (the Impression3 Plus) which offers intuitive dial-knob controls- unlike the awkward newfangled buttons on both the KDS CRT and the SyncMaster LCD. Sure enough, my hunch proved correct, and my problems became for the most part resolved.

Finally, note that even with this CRT, I have to make sure to avoid an empty stomach, or my body can start acting up. But, y'know, I'm not sure whether too much hydration is good either (i.e. maybe water is conducive to nerve-triggering in the same way that it triggers electric shock? Maybe solid food is better?) To anyone reading this, I suggest you experiment and see if your symptoms worsen with over-hydration or under-hydration or starvation.

Update: After working on the old CRT for a while, I started experiencing health problems as well, even though I didn't at first. It still isn't as bad as with the LCD, and in fact, my metabolism is more settled than with the LCD. The CRT is a 14" Impression3 Plus.

Big Bang:

Sometimes it takes a "Big Bang" to create awareness. For example, when a major accident happens at an intersection, a hue and cry is raised, and voila! A traffic light is installed.

Then there are more personal examples such as mine. For years, I'd needlessly suffered from "laryngitis", involving weeks-duration sore throats, sinus drips and painful coughs. Yet, all that time, a major culprit had been foods containing strong acids such as citric acid, raw onions or garlic (especially if the onion/garlic or garlic-powder is combined with citric-acid or hot water such as with meatballs). Even lemon extract in lemon cake causes problems. But I might never have realized this if I hadn't once desperately gorged on raw garlic hoping to cure my condition, only to find that it worsened with a Big Bang!

My second realization came along with the higher-tech monitors and their ultra-vivid lighting which triggered my symptoms with a big bang. This has caused me to reconsider whether even the older monitors in past jobs, combined with fluorescent environments, might not have contributed toward my fibromyalgia, even though, at the time, I attributed my symptoms solely to "repetitive strain".

Yet more realizations have come, first of all with the discovery of Dr. Brotman's site wherein he claims that LCDs emit strong magnetic fields, contrary to what everyone believes, and yet another realization came with the press release about the flame retardants in computer monitors (see this Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition site)

In a nutshell, various experts focus on different issues, among them: EMFs, chemicals, brightness, size, color, flicker, metal/mercury toxicity, dental work...

Gaba:

During the week that I re-experimented with the Samsung LCD, by adjusting the Color Correction, I had steadily built up to a repeat of my old, ravaging health problems. This time, I decided to try and see if the Source Naturals GABA, which I had in the house as one of my chelation supplements, would help to relieve my various pains, particularly my painful fingerpads and hips which felt like bone pain, but may have been inflamed nerves. So here's what I did:

I took three 750mg tablets (I don't advise anyone to try so much at once!)
Crushed them
Then mixed them into hot (but not scalding) water
And gulped the mix down.

Within the next 1/2 hour I felt hot tingling sensations all over, including up my neck to my brain.

I slept on it, and the next day, I felt that my inflamed nerve endings had calmed. I'm not sure if it was the GABA, or the sleep that did it, but I do know that I felt the tingling, though when I tried GABA again at a later date, it failed to help my migraine. Interestingly, epileptics are helped by GABA. So perhaps photosensitivity, photosensitive epilepsy, and regular epilepsy are "sorta" related? I'm not saying that GABA is all that great, but maybe it does give some slight relief, albeit with rebound pain.

Suggested Solutions

Intro:

Before getting to the solutions list, here's a caveat:

There's so much conflicting "blind-men-and-elephant" style feedback. Some people find Dell tolerable. Yet others do not. I know of people whose photosensitivity issues were resolved by IBM Thinkpad laptops (or smaller/dimmer LCDs in general), all of which were no larger than 14" viewing area (which is currently impractical, of course, since websites became biased to wider screens). This, however, does not make either laptops or smaller screens foolproof (read on for further detail). In my opinion, all the contradictory info is due to several factors:

• Toxified Level & Type Factor - different levels and types of peoples' toxicity, such as chemicals, metals, radiation, other. Are chemical sensitivity and LCD/CRT sensitivity more common than electrosensitivity? I think so! ...I'm talking about severe electrosensitivity, such as to heating pads and refrigerators. Due to the high potency of light radiation, I think it's more common to be sensitive to backlighting of LCDs, CRTs etc. even when the monitors are dimmed or covered. I'm also skeptical of claims of shielding (read further re: my various "shield" experiences).
   
• Genetics & Body Parts Factor - some bodies have poorer detox mechanisms, and some body parts are more compromised than other body parts. Thus, different manifestations such as red skin, headaches, eye pain... And even: Tooth pain, sore throat, bleeding, nosebleeds, speedy metabolism/heartbeat, sleep loss, hair loss, or a single burnt hair sprouting in an odd spot.
   
• Harm Level & Exposure Factor - CRTs/LCDs/Laptops/TVs as well as cellphones/cars/windows/mouse/other have different harm levels depending upon construction, number of CCFLs, brightness, and degree of outgassing. And it goes without the saying that harm levels also depend upon monitor-owner's toxicity level, degree of exposure to the antagonist, AND WHICH BODY PARTS WERE MOST EXPOSED TO THE ANTAGONIST. For example, EITHER a cellphone OR a mouse, may eventually cause radiation burns in your right palm.

Also, since there aren't yet enough factual testimonials, it's my hope that visitors will testify on this site's Survey and Polls & Posts Board, including the actual names and model numbers of CRTs and LCDs which have caused y'all problems, as well as prior or subsequent monitors (or laptops) which were problem-free. Open communication is the best way we might possibly get to the bottom of this whole mess, but frankly, just like it's impossible to analyze all facets of wars, tsunami's & earthquakes due to their enormity, it's similarly impossible to analyze environmental health issues.

Suggested Solutions
(Also debunks various "official" solutions):

• Above & foremost, avoidance or minimizing computer use is the safest solution, as no doubt Dr. Robert Becker, author of "The Body Electric" would agree. He was one of the few truth-seeking doctors of the corrupt un-healthcare system, which had consistently suppressed his findings about both EMFs' harmful effects and regeneration.
   
• For those with money and room to spare, note that some people bypass computer health issues by rigging a projector - for example see Troy's story - this programmer used computer 10 hours a day! Now he uses a projector.
  (Note: Versions of this solution are being used by members who've discussed it on the Polls & Posts Board
   
• Sanitize office area from EMFs (see "Black On White" online PDF by Granlund-Lind)
   
• You can cover your mouse with aluminum foil (fastening it with Fun-Tack) to help shield your palm from eventual radiation burn. (As for cellphones? Ahem.. that's beyond the scope of this site).
   
• Artificial tears to counter dry eye and stabbing irritation - should be applied preparatory to computer use. I find Systane ($13 for 1oz. at Walmart) and Similisan Dry Eye helpful. Visine (Dry Eye) is cheaper & also refreshing but there may be a tad irritating aftereffects from Visine. Similisan DryEye is best of all - with least irritating aftereffects. (If you're 40's plus, you might want to precede the Similisan-DryEye with filtered-Pascalite drops as mentioned further down.) As for Genteal, its coldness was irritating for me & applying it was awkward.
   
• Also, I find that warm/humid climate causes me much less headache (perhaps due to its lower air pressure plus better blood circulation), and that warm/moist air is less irritating to my eyes than cool/dry breezes. Also, while a cool cloth helps me sometimes (some people find MygraStick roll-on by: Health From The Sun helpful) yet at other times I find that a warm/wet cloth applied to closed eyelids is preferable. WARM COMPRESSES ARE SUPPOSED TO JUMPSTART LUBRICATION FLUIDS. Also hot baths are great, combined with occasionally dipping hands and feet in cool water, which supposedly grounds the body, as does digging oneself in the earth (which is what the TDP infrared mineral lamp is based on). Just do what works best for you. (Relevant Note: NAET recognizes that people can be allergic to warm/cold/wet/dry and so forth.
  Some people have used Big Horn (Wyoming) Pascalite Clay to cure themselves to good effect (for example for cataracts or detox baths). Others find Sodium Bentonite helpful (see Eyton's Earth site), but I personally found the On-Site Dead Sea mud pools ONLY at Northernmost SulphurSmelling Dead Sea most effective, as mentioned elsewhere on this list.
   
• Living at seaside for awhile (as testified by many electrosensitives) is very healthy, and at least one photosensitive EHS in the book "Invisible Disease" mentioned that sunlight didn't bother her at the sea unlike elsewhere. Note that Dr. Jordan Rubin was cured after living at seaside. I also read of asthmatics being cured by living in a certain cave for awhile. It's probably related to negative ions' health benefits. The "Salt Effect" is mentioned in Becker's "Body Electric" which is jampacked with "real" info (unlike A.M.A. disciples). I personally experienced potent therapeutic results during a one-time stint at Dead Sea (the NorthernMost Stinky-Mud Dead Sea ONLY. The Southern Dead Sea area did nothing for me. The most effective sequence is as follows: In May/June/July, with sun beating down, dip first in Dead Sea 1/2 hour, and then immerse in nearby black-mud pool 1/2 hour. You then start feeling a therapuetic pulling/pulsating sensation. Rub the mud in scalp too! I know it stinks, literally, but it beats all!
   
• I have not yet researched Mouse-hand & mouse-arm issues, since I've just recently developed that (in 2007).
   
• Ahem... are any of you considering acquiring a Holaday or other EMF meter? Well, first of all consider that both myself, and an engineer on pg. 114 of Granlund-Lind's PDF book discovered the so-called "scientific" meters to be non-accurate gauges, when considering our symptoms.
   
  Instead: (don't laugh!) I suggest you substitute a few cheap AA-battery-operated clocks, because I discovered that those cheap clocks are the best meters! Here's why: They speed up or die - directly correlating to the EMF potency nearby. Here are four examples:
   
  1. When I used the terrible Samsung LCD, the nearby clock's battery went dead within days & I would constantly have to replenish them. What's fascinating, is that LCDs & CRTs act similar to SLIders (Street Light Interferer) & wristwatch stoppers and psychic vampires...
      
  2. With my current, less potent Dell monitor, that same clock has been steadily speeding similar to my speeded metabolism & blood pressure. Emphasis on speeding; not dying!
      
  3. I also have a battery clock 3 feet above my compact Sharp microwave. That clock also speeded up, but at a slower rate. Note that the microwave is used approximately once a day for at most a few minutes.
      
  4. Another similar clock in my bedroom - with no potent electronics nearby - always keeps the correct time.

Not surprisingly, the severity of my body's symptoms correlates with the varying reactions of my clocks to the varying levels of EMF in my house!

• If conveniently available, try an older laptop such as Thinkpad preferably with a low brightness rating of 130 nits or lower, and if possible, use it via the battery. NOTE: Not all laptops are foolproof as evidenced by occasional keywords of visitors to this site (see my keywords link).
   
• Fewer CCFLs (fluorescent tubes) in monitor specs may be preferable. For example 2CCFL vs. 3CCFL.
  Update as of Jan. 2006: I just found out from technicians that the majority of laptops have only 1CCFL - unlike desktops' LCDs which usually have at least 2CCFL if not more. Which may explain why some people get relief from laptops. But still, as I just mentioned, there's no guarantees that even all laptops are foolproof. Other display trends are Plasma, LED and OLED (organic light emitting diode). I haven't researched plasma technology, but I do know that the LED on my digital camera irritates me, as does a Near InfraRed LED massager (see below...)
   
• Another clue which points to moderation as best solution (I.E. dim/small/thin laptops) is that, in general, light radiation causes various reactions. For example, in neonatal hospital wards, when jaundiced preemies are placed under blue fluorescent lamps for treatment, nurses in the vicinity get headaches and feel nauseous. Yet, on the other hand, in 2006, when I experimented with a near infra-red LED pocket-size massager, operating on two AA batteries, 60,000 mcd total, and 660 nanometers, it caused my teeth to throb, as well as eye irritation & dryness, despite that I shut my eyes tight & kept them covered with my arm.
  
  Bottom Line:
  These examples citing both red & blue light are proof enough to me that light is a major culprit, despite the many people who insist that Alternating Current, Refresh Rates, and so forth are main culprits.
   
• By gradation, perhaps avoid the brilliant SXGA (super) displays, UXGA (ultra), QXGA (quad), WUXGA (wide ultra) and instead stick to XGA with maximum resolution of 1024 x 768.
  Update as of approx. 2006: Unfortunately, (sigh) web designers have begun designing their interfaces biased toward wider screens, thus removing the choice for us to comfortably use smaller screens like we used to. Because if we change the resolution, which in turn makes the fonts smaller, that forces us to crane our heads closer to the source of fluorescent EMFs. Of course you can change the text size anyway, but that causes the layout to become weird. So against my grain, I'm now forced to advise avoidance of too-small monitors. Maybe a 17" Dell laptop, but can't say for sure. Y'all are welcome to feedback on the Survey.
   
• You might try applying sun-block lotion or aloe/calendula to sensitive-skin areas of your body, so as to block entry to UV emissions from your monitor.
   
• Advisable: Taking a walk in fresh air after exposure to computer monitors. On the other hand: Going to bed directly after computer use causes me to feel a full gamut of symptoms upon waking up.
   
• After computer session, a cold shower may help vs. radiation effects. Also dunking entire head into a basin of cool water for awhile may give some relief. Also, if wrists hurt, run them under cold water faucet, then switch to warm water (not too hot), then alternating back to cold.. warm.. cold.. etc.
   
• During computer use, keep hydrated and avoid an empty stomach. But, as mentioned previously, I'm not sure whether too much water is good either; maybe solid food such as lite protein, lite fat, popcorn, pancakes or oatmeal are better. I personally find that low-fat kettle-corn popcorn helps calm me while on computer. I suggest you experiment and see if your symptoms worsen with over-hydration or under-hydration or starvation
   
• I find Sambucol original black elderberry syrup to be healing and nerve relaxing. Also, fist-fulls of Bing Cherries taken on more-or-less empty stomach (or daily tsp. of black cherry concentrate in some water) helps to repair my internal bleeding and urinary tract infections that's among symptoms caused by viewing computer monitors prolongedly. Also good: raspberry tea & low-fat raspberry-vanilla, peach & mango sherbets and ice creams to soothe bodywide inflammations including sore throat triggered by computer emanations. Also: cherry, mixed berry & peach yogurts make me feel good, as do soy powder & beets. Also excellent is: chewable DGL licorice chews & Natural Factors Raspberry "C" chews.
   
• Of course, radiators & baseboard heat are way healthier than human-unfriendly, dehydrating, forced-air heat. I'm stuck in a house with forced-air, but I recently invested in an oil-filled radiator for my bedroom so that at least part of the time I have healthy heat. Additionally, I stuck magnetic vent covers on the heating vents of my bedroom, so the forced-air is kept out of that room and is exclusively heated by the oil radiator. However, those of you who are very electrosensitive might not tolerate any electric heating unit nearby in which case the forced air would be preferable. I myself hate the electronic smell emitted by the electric radiator. So... which is the lesser of the two evils? Forced air? Or electric smell?
   
• Other environmental factors to consider: Sleeping on metal-free, chemical-free beds, such as wooden futons. Some memory foam mattresses are toxic too! Also consider: Well-ventilated room, grounded outlets, check for fields via Tri-field meter... WAIT... NO! These so-called "scientific" instruments have been debunked as well. To quote an engineer on pg. 114 of Granlund-Lind's PDF book:

  "I am a safety engineer and have conducted many measurements at many different places. We acquired a Holaday EM field meter...my electro-hypersensitivity came during one week in connection with dental treatment...to conduct measurements and at the same time be EHS has given me an insight...if someone were to ask me if I wanted to work eight hours at a smelting plant with huge electric furnaces, or two hours at our HQ temp office, I would choose the smelting plant without hesitation...there are 100 times more milliTesla at the smelting plant than at the office...">

  Further considerations: Avoid "new" carpet odors, oxygenate yourself often, use warm overhead lighting (for what it's worth), distance any equipment with suspected PBDE flame retardent chemicals or suspect odors - if you're chemical sensitive, try sniffing at the rear vents of your monitor. That can be very telling!
   
• Some experts advise using a CRT (rather than LCD) in conjunction with a high-quality video card which allows users to raise the refresh rate up to 150 hz. However, I disagree, because a flicker-free near infrared LED massager (operating on AA batteries) caused me symptoms as well. (See above...)
   
  • Furthermore, the following newsgroup posts would seem to contradict the experts:
    Newsgroup Chat (17" monitor eyestrain headache - at 85 hz)
    Newsgroup Chat (17" NEC headaches - @ 160 Hz)
    
    
• Some experts advise using an LCD (rather than CRT) which they claim is flicker-free and emission free. This has been proven to be misguided advice for me and for several others since not all LCDs are problem free (see my grassroots links). Also see survey & keywords links.
   
• Some experts advise all sorts of EMF "protective" devices and pendants. They didn't work for me though! (Read the "My Story" page on this website as well as the Derek Bishop link).
   
• Some experts (such as Dr. Yolton, optometrist) advise that viewing a smaller screen such as 14" is less stressful. However, while some 14" CRTs such as the ancient Impression Plus and HP were less problematic for me, yet, when I tried out a brand-new 14" Scanport LCD (complete with non-glare monitor and low brightness/contrast rating and dimmed/color-corrected), it caused me the same health issues I'd endured on the 15" Samsung LCD
   
• Some experts advise changing the background lighting in the computer room to incandescent. But that failed to work for me when the Samsung LCD was electrocuting me... Still, you might as well opt for those rather than fluorescent.
   
• Some people claim to be helped by using a high quality non-glare ultra-violet shield which attaches to face of monitor. However, at my job years ago, they provided UV/non-glare shields, yet I still developed symptoms. But even so, it's probably an improvement over a non-shielded monitor.
   
• Re: various types of sunglasses & filters, such as grey-tinted SolarShields, or Amber-Rose Blue-Blockers. First of all, a photosensitive guy I've been corresponding with uses purple tinted glasses and says that helps. His experience jives with mine, since I had visited an Irlen Optometrist who gave me samples of colored lenses to try when viewing his monitor. Indeed, I found the purple color to be best for me, but the optometrist told me that other people find other colors, such as the blue, more tolerable. I myself have recently been using Solar Shield grey-tinted lenses, but, while I admit that both grey sunglasses and UV monitor shields offer some protection, nevertheless, symptoms persist with or without them. Also, I had borrowed my father's Amber-Rose-tinted blue-blockers, prescribed to him after cataract surgery for his macular degeneration. I had used the blue-blockers continuously for hours at the computer. But though the glasses turned everything into a gorgeously rosy hue, nevertheless, computer symptoms set in anyway. And frankly, I doubt that any sunglasses are of much help if the overriding issue is radiation caused by the fluorescent backlights or potent phosphors, or nerve-triggering chemicals.
   
• Both the forementioned guy and myself have found a grey background to be most tolerable (see "Updates" link, where I included instructions re: how I changed my background screen colors in Windows XP / Internet Explorer 6. That may (or not) help a bit - such as for Irlen Syndrome.
  
  Emphasis: The stucco color on my demo may not be ideal - indeed I have subsequently found pale grey to be the more tolerable than stucco or amber.
   
• There are those who will insist that the biggest cause of your symptoms is parasites OR candida OR liver blockage etc. etc. ad-nauseum... However, I travelled that wearying route (fanatic candida diet, liver detox regimens, H2O2, Paragone, as well as replacement of 17 amalgam fillings, chelation, and much more). After all that, I'm in no better shape except when I avoid problematic LCDs/CRTs.
   
• Neurontin (Gabapentin 200mg - 300mg or more) may work within a few hours to relieve pains caused by viewing computer monitor, such as migraine, toothache, and muscle pains. It helps many of us, and is mentioned in Lucinda Grant's article (linked to safer-world.org's site).
  
  Update: I now realize that Neurontin (like Soma) causes rebound pain after it wears off.
   
• I would suggest that you inquire whether the monitor contains flame retardants, epoxy glue, cadmium, and anything else mentioned on the SVTC.ORG's links or by Gunni Nordstrom (author of Invisible Disease) - but unfortunately, there don't seem to be regulations as yet requiring manufacturers to make such data available. See, it isn't politically recognized. It seems that the powers that be in the U.S. are willing for their own citizens to become chemically-poisoned gradually. So therefore, any time you buy a new monitor, sniff it (especially the rear vents). If it smells toxic (or even if not) outgas it by hooking it up to an outlet & turning on the switch. Leave it that way for 100-200 hours in an unoccupied room, preferably in fresh air.
   
• Upon symptoms, you might try charcoal (or milk?) to absorb toxins inhaled from computer. Does it help me? Who knows...
   
• Skin warning - don't smear on capsaicin cream or sensitizing ointments containing acids or sharp chemicals on skin which will be directly exposed to computer fluoresence, or to hot baths, or sunlight. Also, for example, if you decide to bleach your hair with lemon juice, and some of it gets on your skin, then when you blow-dry it using a blowdryer with built-in light - your skin can burn due to the lemon juice reacting to the blowdryer's light. Also, if you take medicines containing acids/chemicals, and then drink hot water, it can have the same sensitizing effect as radiation and light, irritating you internally.
   
• By the way, in today's trashy world, some light bulbs and plastic lamp sockets may have toxic chemical coatings that can ougas when hot, causing asthma attacks, sore throat, etc. Beware! Give them a trial sniff - to check if they smell suspicious. Also beware of new cars, new windows, and any other plastic "junque" - especially if any of them get hot or have lights (for example blowdryers with built-in lights). Because light is radiation.
   
• If you're a photosensitive & neurologically sensitive type prone to stomach pain & bleeding & UTI, it may be advisable to follow this protocol:
   
  • Avoid or minimize: Poultry (especially red meat!), citrus/ascorbic acid (even buffered, & even Citracal), pineapple, kiwi, cranberry, red-grapes/raisins, apples, starch-fruit combo's such as apple-oat combo (if not buffered with creams or egg-oil), Oreos, horseradish, onion/garlic/spices, any garlic-acid combo (as in meatballs, spicy salads, herring, etc. though moderate amounts of garlic-powder as seasoning may be OK), nuts, peppermint, processed meat, excessive sugar. Note that phenols of red grapes/garlic, as well as citrus products, might cause reactions & may be photosensitive (react to light, react to EMFs, react to hot drinks, etc.) Note that computer monitors (and other high-tech gadgets) can contain bisphenols which are photosensitizing! Hot drinks intensify bad effects of citrus/spices. Minimize alcohol, avoid smoking. Minimize chocolate, though chocolate cake & even choco-chip cookies may be OK, if they're egg-oil buffered. Corn starch/modified starch is bad. Combo of starches and saturated fat (especially dairy fat) is BAD (for example ice-cream containing starch in ingredients). Milk chocolate, licorice twists, pizza, french fries, potato chips, and non-moistened potatoes, especially if buttered, are bad.
     
  • Healing foods are: Mullein/mallow combo, Vitamin A, carrots, broccoli, egg-oil based food, lysine, cabbage, greens, seaweed, mushrooms, yams, beets, barley, buckwheat, black cherry, berries (excluding cranberries), Raspberry products, Boysenberry, mayonnaise, yogurt, whey, flax oil. I personally find that when sugar and honey are used to season healthy foods they're actually good for me. Despite the bad rap. (Read Dr. Kristal of metabolic typing)
     
• I'm tacking on more personal "babble" to these solutions, since I feel some of you may relate to it:
   
  • Not only do toxic CRTs/LCDs trigger my body to stiffen with pain - but also certain "gluey-textured" cholesterol-gluten-calcium-fat-starch combinations. For example, pizza or TastyCake donuts. Butter too. Note that a quantum-diagnostics session suggested digitalis to dilate my blood vessels, as well as mentioning "thick blood". So based on this, here's my theory: I suspect the forementioned food-combo's and computer monitors cause my blood vessels to constrict. How? The fat starch "gluey" combos clog my arteries, then along comes computer radiation & aggravates the situation by speeding up metabolism & blood pressure. But the blood can't get through due to the clogged arteries! Thus causing a traffic jam, & resultant pain/stiffness.
     
• Detox regimen may help some people (though that wearying route didn't work on me). A quite accurate way to determine the load of toxins you carry is via quantum physics diagnostics. Toxins can range from heavy metals, for which you can test via Doctors Data test (see Mercury Poster) to emotional, chemical, viral, bacterial and nanobacterial toxins (a.k.a. "viral particles" a.k.a. "nano particles"). I'm convinced that Nanobacterial Calcifications and/or other parasites get stirred up (along with mercury, lead & who knows what else) by the emanations from computer monitors - thus waking up "sleeping dogs" & causing symptoms.
  Note: There's a Salt/C Protocol that has been helping ill people such as chronic Lyme patients. However, it's advisable to start with tiny increments such as 1/8 tsp. Kirkman's hypoallergenic C powder plus 1/8 tsp. pure sea salt (fine-ground), mixed into 1/2 cup pure water, in morning and at bedtime. The reason I suggest caution, is because I personally had adverse reactions to the standard Salt/C protocol, such as developing varicose veins & temporary incontinence. You may also want to minimize computer time while on the Salt/C protocol.
  Another detox regimen (which has been helping autistics) is NCD - Natural Cellular Defense - which is an expensive form of zeolites. The topics can be researched on Yahoo Health Groups. But it's interesting to note that the common denominator of both these regimens as well as the Nanobac regimen is "minerals". Note, too, that in The Body Electric, Becker observes that irritants such as Salt/needles/etc. must precede regeneration. This creates a "current of injury" (might this explain why Mud-Therapy's pulling-effect works effectively after immersion in Salt-Bath?

At-Risk Group

At risk of rehashing, it's possible that the following people and lifestyles are most at risk:

• People who are over-exposed to hours of close-up exposure to any lights such as computer LCD/CRT, TV, fluorescents, bright lights, cellphones (containing LED panels) etc. For example, a job optical scanning as cashier, or a job as a programmer may be risky. Even if the light is dimmed or covered, it does not always help! After all, don't you prefer sleeping in darkness even when your eyelids are shut? But this doesn't mean that brightness & proximity aren't factors as well... Avoid working in offices with low hanging unshielded fluorescents; also avoid assembling toxic computer components without gloves for protection from epoxies; also, maybe soldiers exposed to infrared night goggles are at risk as well; even sewing machines have lights, so long-term sewing may also cause body degradation... Also computer mouse causes electrosensitivity in many people after a while
• Elderly people, and genetically predisposed people, who are more dehydrated (with less extracellular water) may be more vulnerable to heating/drying effect of computer radiation and chemicals. Note that hormonal changes are also related to increasing sensitivities.
• People toxified by and exposed to heavy metals, bacteria, viruses, chemicals, unhealthy environment, bad food. For example, a neuro practitioner explained that mercury affected my Pineal gland, which causes body rhythms such as sleep to be affected as well as causing a myriad of other sensitivities, including EMF/light sensitivity.
• People who are genetically predisposed to poor detoxification mechanisms. For example, poor sweating ability, toxic liver, and chronic constipation won't eliminate toxins efficiently.
• Ethnic factor? For example, some Orientals sweat less than Occidentals. Also, people with large pupils in eyes and/or translucent irises containing low melanin, and fair skin containing low melanin may be more photosensitive, and ditto for other vulnerable body parts. For example, many Scandinavians are fair-skinned and blue-eyed. Might that be why there's a high percentage among them who have fibromyalgic and computer sensitivities? Perhaps... It bears investigation.
• People who practice Kundalini without proper precautions have been known to acquire symptoms similar to those with electrosensitivity. Note that this practice involves neural connections, causing a twinge to sometimes be felt down the spine, whereupon excruciating widespread pain is triggered. I'm curious whether there are other electrosensitives (or Kundalini victims) who, like myself, are able to voluntarily induce a twinge down one's spine, by merely thinking about it!
• Ingesting heating/drying stuff such as scalding soup, citrus, spices, sulphuric onion/garlic, acids, salts, alcohol, perfume, Lysol, aerosols while exposed to bright lights, toxic dust and chemicals, is like adding fuel to the fire. Also phenols of red grapes/garlic might cause reactions & may be photosensitive (react to light, EMFs, hot drinks, etc.) Note that computer monitors (and other high-tech gadgets) can contain bisphenols which are photosensitizing! On the other hand, ingesting cooling/moisturizing stuff such as water, ozonation, oxygenation, cherry yogurt, low-fat peach ice cream, low-fat berry-vanilla ice-cream/sorbet, demulcent herbals, humectant sweeteners such as glycerine mixed into berry tea, honey-chamomile tea, mallow-licorice tea, is sorta like banking the fire...
• Caution: Those of you who supplement with silica, note that upon supplementing with liquid silica to elasticize skin and nails I overdid it, resulting in radio-frequency sensitivity causing my heart and head to pound when listening to radio. Also, my friend who supplemented with silica developed heart palps (not just me). It may be due to its property of boosting body electricity, enhancing cell to cell communication. The moral? Moderation is the key. Hey, too much oxygen can also kill!
• See the solutions list for more.

Formal-Style Links

(grass-roots-style links are further down)

=D= Signifies "Dead link that was formerly available"

• Online PDF Book "Black-On-White" - Voices & Witness of Electro-hypersensitivity
• Tale of Four Bleeders - i.e. throat bleeding, nosebleeds, surgical incision & female-type
• Troy's story - this programmer used computer 10 hours a day! Now uses projector
• M.C. Battilano's story - this programmer discusses his LCD display discomfort
• AlphaLab: Simple Ways to Avoid Electromagnetic Fields
• Computer Screen Dermatitis - Interview with Prof. Olle Johansson of Karolinska Institute
• Occupational Injury in the Office - Interview with Gunni Nordstrom - Author & Journalist
• Lucinda Grant summarizes hilites of WHO Conference on Electromagnetic Radiation
• =D= Kundalini / Derek Bishop: "homeopathy & various EMF devices ineffective" (shake hands!)
• S.Molloy, Editor EHN newsletter: "...fluorescent lights... feels like a blow to top of my head"
• Trent Nichols, M.D. Bioelectromagnetic Therapy for Fibromyalgia & ElectroSensitivity
• Computers for the ElectroSensitive - Tips and Q&A - by an ES Engineer
• Chemical Sensitivity - related to EMF/fluorescent sensitivity
• =D= Health Issues With Flame Retardant Chemicals in Computers (also: Shetreet lawsuit)
• =D= Triphenol Phosphate In Computer Monitors Can Trigger Allergies
• Irlen Syndrome (color issues related to autism & more)
• Color & Visual Stress    speak of which...    is Snow Blindness related to this issue?
• Computer Vision Syndrome
• Photosensitive Epilepsy
• Timothy Hain, M.D., (Chicago Dizziness & Balance)
• PhotoBiology Society (did not respond to my email)
• =D= Dr. Yolton, optometrist (his advice is not foolproof - see my June 2004 update)
• Syntonic Phototherapy (effective? How should I know?!)
• Syntonic Optometry - Case Report (reminds me of Georgie Stehli's AudioTherapy for autism)
• =D= Neurotoxins & Optic Nerve Dysfunction (Janis Eells, Ph.D.)
• =D= Sumeria.Net (fluorescense & weak muscles)

Chatty-Style Links

(grass roots experiences)

• Computer Monitor Pain Survey (Well! At least it's a start...)
• Online PDF Book "Black-On-White" - Voices & Witness of Electro-hypersensitivity
• Tale of Four Bleeders - i.e. throat bleeding, nosebleeds, surgical incision & female-type
• Troy's story - this programmer used computer 10 hours a day! Now uses projector
• M.C. Battilano's story - this programmer discusses his LCD display discomfort
• M.C. Battilano - this programmer posts feedback sent him - including TV problems
• Chatters chat: Vestibular Migraine, auto glass, fluorescents effect brain chemicals etc.
• Newsgroup Chat (Fluorescent lights & fibromyalgia)
• Newsgroup Chat (Fibromyalgic sensitivity to fluorescent lights & computers)
• Newsgroup Chat (Face turns red from fluorescents)
• Newsgroup Chat (Face turns red from computer screen)
• Newsgroup Chat (Monitor Size & Tiredness)
• Newsgroup Chat (17" monitor eyestrain headache - even at 85 hz)
• Newsgroup Chat (LCD ouch. 17" NEC headaches - @ 160 Hz. Sunglasses, Grey b.g. & 3M)
• My own bad experience with 17" NEC + aperture grill (April Update - this site)
• Newsgroup Chat (Computer monitor gives headaches - TV doesn't)
• Newsgroup Chat (LCD monitor hasn't helped my headaches)
• Newsgroup Chat (LCD monitor kills my eyes!)

Updates

Since I created this site, I keep learning more and more based upon feedback from various people as well as personal investigation. So this section is devoted to updates based on my new realizations (though I also did go back to edit the entire site as well)

• March, 2004:

  Well... by now I've tried Solar Stat. I even attached two layers of it to my LCD, yet remained with symptoms (even if those symptoms are relieved by GABA crushed into hot water at bedtime). So I now realize that it's not necessarily UV (ultraviolet) that's the worst culprit - but rather the worst culprit is brightness - which includes color, since white backgrounds are worst. Another way of putting it, is that high-intensity incandescents as well as brightly-lit bright colors may trigger my hyperactive nervous system even more than very-dim fluorescents (which also are not problem-free!

  This past month I finally managed to wheedle a prescription for Neurontin from my rigid doctor, since I wanted to try it out as it's known to relieve pain for many people. Indeed, I've discovered this is true for me. But I need to take at least 300mg at bedtime, whereupon it makes me lightheaded and drowsy. By the next day I feel "lighter" and less stressed out.
  Update: I now realize that Neurontin (like Soma) does cause side effects such as rebound pain after it wears off, even while it's sometimes a calming lifesaver.

  ...well, it's now mid-March and I've been busy corresponding with a very helpful photosensitive fellow who I met on a group. Indeed it's true that the people who usually help the most are those with similar issues, because he helped me figure out how to get the browser's color changing to work despite Microsoft's ridiculous quirks (shame on them). You better believe no techies helped me - not Dell, and not Samsung. Here's how to do it:

  Changing Screen Colors (Windows XP / Internet Explorer 6):

  On the IE6 browser toolbar, Click:
  Tools | Internet Options | General | Accessibility | Checkmark: Ignore Colors Specified On Web Pages | OK

  You should now be back in the General tab. Next, click:
  Colors | Un-Check: Use Windows Colors | then:
  Click on the boxes adjacent to Text | Background | Visited | UnVisited
  (drop-down color menu - choose your desired colors) | OK | OK

  At this point, you should have achieved your goal - right? Uh uh - not necessarily!! If you find that Windows glitched, such as turning your background all-white or some other such nonsense, then here's your next step (and even that menu may prove unstable, as I've found):

  On your Desktop, Right-Click your mouse. Next, click:
  Properties | Appearance | Advanced | then go down the dropdown-menu, click each one, and choose desired colors
  OK | Apply | OK

  Tip: If you have an HTML editor such as Arachnophilia, you may be in for a surprise in that some of its text may have become indecipherable. The solution to that would be to use its independent Tools option to Un-Check "Use Default Windows Background" then change its background independently.

  But even this probably won't be enough. You also need to dim your screen to the point of tolerability via the Color Correction feature of your video card. Here's how to achieve this via Windows XP:

  On your Desktop, Right-Click your mouse. Next, click:
  Properties | Settings | Advanced | GE force videocard tab | On popout on left, click:
  View Display Mode | Device Settings | Color Correction | Adjust sliders until your screen reaches comfort level | Apply

  Save As (to save your settings after working so hard to achieve them!) | OK

  Now, that wasn't so hard, was it? HUFF... PUFF...

  Below is a screenshot displaying the muted colors I chose, though frankly, it barely relieved my symptoms. Note the taupe, amber, aqua, dark blue and black. Since this didn't relieve me, I'll continue experimenting with different colors, though I'm not holding my breath.

   

  Below are my dropdown menus / superimposed
  on a website superimposed on my Arachnophilia editor.

  

• April, 2004:

  I acquired a NEC FE750+ 17" CRT, 16" viewable, with flat aperture grill touted as "striped phosphor of CRT delivers superior vertical definition with improved brightness", OptiClear screen surface which "reduces reflection and glare..."

  What can I say... I found that indeed the image quality is as SUPER as the irritating Samsung LCD, and even better because text isn't jagged.

  But... my symptoms flared up again with a vengeance. Therefore, my previous speculation that expensive name brands might be better, or that phosphor technology might be less irritating than fluorescent technology is now shot. I did read somewhere, though, that CRTs' phosphors get dimmer as the CRT ages, so older CRTs may be better. And another key factor may be the viewing area - i.e. the smaller the screen's dimensions, the less irritating it may be. Meanwhile, though, I've been wasting too much money already on both LCD and CRT both of which have proven unhealthy for me. And the trend seems to be getting worse and worse - ever bigger and brighter. What hope is there for those of us in the minority? sigh...

• May, 2004:

  By now, the forementioned very-helpful photosensitive guy emailed me the URL to Dr. Yolton's article (which I inserted above, under SOLUTIONS). The Yolton article is the most plausible explanation of any I've read thus far, and most jives with peoples' experiences with large/bright computer screens. However, Dr. Yolton and many other experts are wrong about one thing: Increasing the frequency rate from 75 Hz to 85 Hz does not help everyone. I know this, because upon researching, I came across this chat:

  "I have a cheap 17" Viewsonic monitor (E70, not the flat screen model). Even though I set the vertical refresh rate to 85MHz at 1024x768, prolong looking at the monitor makes my eyes water and a bit of headache. I have not experienced such problems with my older 14" and 15" monitors."

  Update: Read my June and Mid-June 2004 updates which prove that what I had thought was a plausible article by Dr. Yolton, proved incorrect in my real-life experience. Also see Solutions area re: futility of raising refresh-rate up to 150Hz.

• June, 2004:

  May/June

  Tried the 13.3 inch Fuvision LCD advertised as: "active matrix TFT LCD Panel. Pixel Pitch: 0.297 (H) x 0.297(V) mm. Max. Resolution: 1024 (H) x 768 (V) XGA. Contrast Ratio: 200:1 (Typical). Brightness: 150 cd/m2 (Typical). Response Time: 35mS( Typical)".

  But it turned out to be way too glaring (even when dimmed) perhaps because it lacked a non-glare screen. The panel was practically like a mirror - ugh! Worse even than old CRTs.

  Lesson learned: That despite the peripheral vision factor in the Yolton article, even small 13 inchers can be intolerable, depending on whether there's a non-glare screen and perhaps other factors which still remain a mystery.

  Mid-June

  Tried the Scanport 14" LCD (including non-glare screen) - but it caused me the same plethora of health issues as the Samsung Syncmaster 151s did. Once again this would seem to disprove Dr. Yolton's article.

  I have also just learned about the Computer PBDE flame retardant issue - so I'm open to the possibility that the monitors affecting me may have been emitting flame retardant chemicals, since I happen to suffer from multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS). Note, too, that last year, a hair analysis indicated I have high cadmium, mercury and arsenic, as well as some lead. And computer components contain cadmium and mercury, which is very telling, because I've been working on computers for years, hours on end with barely a break in between.

• October 2004

  I acquired an older 1990's Hewlett Packard Pavilion M45 14" CRT from someone locally. And I'm finding it to be as tolerable as my forementioned 14" Impression Plus CRT. So far, that's two older CRTs that are SOMEWHAT tolerable, as compared to any of the newer CRTs/LCDs I tried which were intolerable.

  Update: I changed my mind. The HP is lethal! It required more exposure to realize that.

• August 2005

  Upon the recommendation of someone I met on a Yahoo group who wrote me that she had bought an already-outgassed, floor-model Flatron LCD and she "loved" it since it was symptom free (unlike another monitor which caused her bad symptoms), I therefore decided to buy a brand new Flatron L1530S LCD (TFT, and TCO rating of 99) because it had very similar specs as the Flatron model she quoted. What can I say... while the 1530S is quite lightweight (more so than the Samsung 151s) yet it gave me symptoms similar to the Samsung though not quite as bad. I note that I detect a very strong chemical odor via its rear vents - which may either be flame retardants or epoxy glue. It's anyone's guess - but it's so toxic, that even when it's OFF and I just stand near it for a short while, my throat gets irritated.

• November 2005

  The past few months I've been leaving the forementioned Flatron LCD near a window to "hopefully" outgas. Meanwhile I've been using a zero-radiation 15" Dell LCD which is also giving me plenty of symptoms. So much for claims of "shielding". Maybe it requires more outgassing? Ahem... more likely it requires one (vs. two) fluorescent tubes - and not so potent either!

• August 2006

  I have just started experimenting with a near infra-red LED pocket-size massager. It operates on two AA batteries, & it's potent at 60,000 mcd total, and 660 nanometers. Interestingly, it causes my teeth to throb, as well as eye irritation & dryness, despite that I shut my eyes tight & keep them covered with my arm. So... what's my point? My point is: This is proof that light radiation is a major culprit, rather than Alternating Current, Refresh Rates, etc. Further proof is that nurses exposed to blue lights in neonatal wards for jaundiced preemies, have been known to experience headaches & nausea.

• 2007-2008

  Over the past year I got gypped when buying a refurbished 12" X31 Thinkpad which arrived with defects. Despite what I previously stated (based on feedback received from others online), I'm now finding I disagree with their feedback, and strongly advise against buying such small screens. But that's only because most websites have become biased toward very wide screens. I'm also finding that there's no difference in how I feel after I'm online awhile with the 12" Thinkpad or with my Desktop's 15" Dell. I need to minimize usage to feel better. That doesn't mean the Thinkpad isn't way more tolerable than many other monitors I've been using. But it's hopeless trying to fight the trend of BIGGER AS BETTER.

• 2008

  From here on, please check the Polls & Posts Board for Updates, if any.

Contact Info

Techno-Toxees can communicate their experiences to each other via:

• the polls & posts board (which includes email-notification of responses)
  
• and/or provide personal testimonials via my Computer Monitor Pain Survey.

 

I don't claim to be a guru. Rather, the goal is to swap experiences, in the hope of avoiding Blind-Men-And-Elephant Syndrome. To emerge from scientific dogma and acknowledge the entire picture beyond any one particular theory.