Think you are getting older? Adjust the light!

There is a proverb that says, “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness,” and I say that is about right.

In place of a candle, I would recommend a couple of 1,600 lumen, energy efficient bulbs. That is equivalent to two old style 100-watt incandescent light bulbs especially if you are close to middle age.

By the time you hit middle age, your retina needs more light to see tasks clearly. By the time you are 60 you need about three times as much light on an object to see it as well as the average 20-year-old does. Oh, to be twenty again!

The solution? Adjust your lighting so that you don’t strain your eyes or miss something important. Form that spot on your tie from lunch, or the front of your uniform, to the small print on your medication instructions.

Turn on your table lamp and look at some suggestions:

• Increase ambient light at home and in the office. You can open blinds and curtains so natural light comes in.
• Targeted LED light spots for specific tasks, such as reading or threading a needle.
• At home, use automatic on/off switches to keep an even light level. You can use motion sensors to come on when you enter a room so there are no missteps in the dark.
• Reduce glare by eliminating bare bulbs in overheads or chandeliers. You can reduce glare by putting runners or table clothes on shiny surfaces of metal, glass or polished stone.

Illuminate!