Why LED Lighting Solutions Are Used in Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities?
Hospitals use different types of lighting solutions to create a comfortable and safe lighting environment for patients. There are different types of lights used in waiting areas, operating rooms, recovery rooms, bathrooms, and so on. The lights used for general lighting and observational lighting in these facilities also differ. All lights are carefully chosen because they have a direct impact on health of humans exposed to them. Various studies show that poor lighting choices can trigger headaches and uneasiness in people. It may deeply affect their mood and circadian rhythms as well. This is why hospitals and healthcare facilities always settle for patient-friendly and energy-efficient lighting choices. Nowadays, conventional lighting solutions like fluorescent and incandescent lights are being replaced by LED lights in these facilities. Do they have any specific effects on a patient’s health? How do they help these hospitals to operate efficiently? Read the post to know the answers to these questions.
LED Lighting Solutions and Their Impact on Patients’ Health
The impact of light on human health has been a subject of debate among physiologists and psychologists for a long time. With the emergence of advanced lighting solutions with adjustable controls, controlling the luminance and effect of light has become easy. Various studies show that LED lighting solutions are proven to have a positive effect on human health. The following points will help you understand it better.
- LEDs Help Tackle Stress and Anxiety: People suffering from anxiety, stress, and other mood disorders are sensitive to light. This mainly happens due to reduced melatonin production. Long-term exposure to fluorescent lights is known to trigger these symptoms in certain individuals. Usually, people suffering from mood disorders are recommended to spend time outdoors in sunlight to regularize melatonin production. However, due to busy lives, this may not be always possible. The LED lighting solutions are designed to mimic natural light environments. Thus, they are used as a part of light therapy to regulate production of melatonin and alleviate levels of stress.
- LEDs Help Prevent Headaches: Fluorescent lights and various other conventional lighting sources are power hungry sources. They are known to produce high energy, which generates heat. Continuous exposure to such environments may trigger headache in people who may be suffering from migraine and other headache symptoms. LED light solutions when paired with lighting controls will help set light levels in hospitals or healthcare facilities where people with migraines or history of headaches are being cared for.
- LEDs Can Boost Productivity: Many studies show that people working in poorly lit workplaces lack confidence and suffer from mood swings. Similarly, those working under fluorescent lights suffer from headaches due to increased room temperature. Both, these conditions can affect their productivity. This is where LEDs make a difference. Using the LED lights build on LEED standards coupled with WELL building standards, controlled lighting, and room temperature is proven to have a positive effect on the psyche of workers. They are able to concentrate more on the work without bothering about physical conditions brought by wrong light choices.
- LEDs Have Positive Effect on Circadian Rhythms: Do you know our circadian rhythms are synchronized with solar day and nights? These rhythms are focused on 24-hour cycle, which is why we tend to sleep or get up at particular times. It is proven that people who work opposite to natural circadian rhythms suffer from various health issues in the long run. They are not exposed to natural light, which may affect their circadian rhythms. Advanced LED lighting solutions mimic the element of natural light, which helps promote healthy circadian rhythm in people who may work in different shifts in the hospital.
- LEDs Help Avoid Retinal Damage: Exposure to extremely bright light sources may cause retinal damage. The blue light or short wavelength lights or UV lights are found to have the most damaging effect on eyes. LED lights produce no damaging UV radiations, and emit bright light. They feature high value of blue light content.
In addition to these benefits, LED lighting solutions also help healthcare facilities and hospitals to work efficiently in different ways. The next section discusses it in detail.
Benefits of Using LED Lighting Solutions in Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities
There are several potential benefits of using LED lighting solutions in hospitals as well as healthcare facilities. The following are a few of them:
- LEDs can reduce energy costs up to 70%.
- They have a lifespan of 100,000 hours or more. Sometimes, these lighting solutions are also covered under a 10-year warranty.
- Hospitals can also save on recycling costs because LEDs are made of mercury-free and glass-free materials. Thus, they can be easily recycled or disposed.
- LEDs can be controlled and tuned in real-time. This makes it easy for hospitals to find a balance between the current needs and future requirements.
As the benefits of using LED lighting solutions in hospitals and healthcare facilities is well introduced here, it is important to source them from trusted manufacturers. E2Lighting USA is one of the leading manufacturers of LED lighting solutions for hospitals and healthcare facilities.