Health Notes, Feb 24th 2008, by Sarah Stacey

See the light!

If you’re reading this curled up in bed, take a moment to consider your bedside light. If you’re anything like I was, you’re squinnying up your eyes to decode the words. It’s not rocket science to understand that your eyes work best with strong, well-directed light but while I had three lights in the room - one either side of my bed, plus a standard by the wall - none actually threw bright light on what I was reading (and the same in my sitting room).

Doing some research, I realised that most of us expect our eyes to cope with conditions at home that would be completely unacceptable at work - and while we spend significant sums on comfy furniture and reading glasses so we can relax with a good book or our favourite glossy, we clean forget the lighting. That might be okay if you’re young and have 20/20 vision but it’s a fact that our eyes deteriorate with age. Most 40 somethings need additional targeted light and by 60, you need about three times as much as in your twenties.

While there is no evidence that poor lighting damages your sight, it can certainly lead to tired eyes, blurred vision, headaches and eye irritation, according to Moorfields Hospital. (It furrows your forehead, too...) More seriously, if people have vision problems already, inadequate lighting can lead to accidents, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom - and stairways, of course. ( For more information, contact the Thomas Pocklington Trust, pocklington-trust.org.uk)

Recently, a colleague discovered the Alex light from the Serious Readers range of dedicated reading lights (which were developed originally for professional uses such as laboratory work and – more glamorously - featured in Casino Royale and other Bond movies). It’s been a revelation, she says: ‘I honestly had no idea I was existing in such gloomy conditions at home until I tried my new Alex Reading Light - I just love it’. She had actually started off looking for a solution to her boyfriend’s habit of keeping the light on to read while she wanted to sleep and the range also includes a LightWedge battery light £29.99, which her beau fixes to his book to illuminate just the page - so domestic harmony is restored. As well as reading in Stygian conditions, I was trying to stitch my tapestry by ‘remote’ lighting - and had actually more or less given up until I tried an OTT Table Light, (£49.99), which gives you a wide spread of natural light and, usefully, is truly portable - it folds up like a chunky clam.

Here are top tips for lighting from Moorfields Hospital and Serious Readers:

* the most important thing is to have a light source close to and directed on what you are doing: so aim for a dedicated ‘task’ light rather than relying on soft ‘ambient’ lighting for activities such as reading and needlework (or any close work);

* the ideal combination is a low level, energy efficient light source for background ambient lighting plus a halogen-based task light (halogen is the closest to natural daylight and is the most energy efficient source of light for close work).

* battery-operated LED (light emitting diode) book lights are small, portable give a bright light directed at the reading material with low energy consumption

* ideally light should be delivered from over your shoulder, on the side of your stronger eye.

* look for a light which is easy to adjust with a flexible arm and manoeuvrable head, but stable

* desk lighting should illuminate the keyboard and any papers you need to look at but not cause glare on the screen

Serious Readers, Freephone 0800 028 1890 (orders Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, brochures 24/7), seriousreaders.com

Beware of painkillers

Doctors have called for tougher regulations on certain over the counter painkillers, which can be highly addictive. Although the manufacturers warn that these products should only be used for short-term pain relief (usually three days), they are still freely available. Those named include Nurofen Plus, with ibuprofen and codeine, and Solpadeine with paracetamol and codeine. On its own, codeine, some of which converts to morphine in the brain, is only available on prescription but combinations can be bought OTC from a pharmacist. Such drugs may also cause ‘medication overuse headache’. Anyone who is taking these for longer, especially if the original symptoms have cleared, or taking more than the recommended dose, should see their doctor.

Snackamack!

Fancy a snack? Munch a macadamia nut - a nutritional powerhouse with the highest level of ‘good’ fats of any food, plus fibre, vitamins and minerals, and protein. Ten a day is the recommended dose - and they’re delicious! From supermarkets and health stores nationwide.

Book of the week: Dr Apple’s Symptoms Encyclopedia (Kyle Cathie, £12.99)

A riveting read for hypochondriacs and reassuring for the rest of us, this fat paperback, full of jargon-free information, sorts symptoms into ‘probable’, ‘possible’ and ‘rare’ causes so you can make an informed decision about what to do.