You have probably heard that staring too long at a digital screen can damage your eyes. But do you really know why? It is because of blue light emitting from those screens. Blue light is a form of visible light that has a short wavelength and high energy. When you hear wavelengths and light energy most people think of the sun, however, the sun is not the only source of light. Wavelengths and light energy emanate from laptops, tablets, and cell phones, too!
So, you are probably thinking it’s just a cell phone light, what is the big deal? Let’s put that into perspective. The sun emits blue light, ultraviolet rays, and infrared rays. Too much exposure to these rays can increase the risks of skin cancer, age spots, and wrinkles. In relation to the eyes, it can cause photokeratitis (sunburned eyes), pterygium (pinkish tissue growth), and cataracts. Luckily, there are products on the market like sunscreen and sunglasses that can protect us from these negative results. On top of that, the surfaces of our eyes have the ability to block out a decent amount of the sun’s light from reaching the retina and causing permanent vision damage. The only light rays the eyes are not very good at blocking out is blue light.
We know the importance of wearing a hat or sunglasses when spending long periods of time outdoors to protect your eyes from the sun. But what happens when you go indoors? That blue light the sun was directing on you is now moved inside via manmade devices, and the tools you used to block the sun outside are no longer effective inside. On top of that, you are most likely staring at your blue light emanating devices for excessive periods of time. In turn, you increase your risk of developing retinal problems such as macular degeneration.
The solution: blue light blocking glasses. Blue light glasses are like sunglasses for indoors. By wearing them anytime you use your devices, you can help decrease the amount of blue light exposure your eyes are taking. These specialty glasses can create short-term and long-term benefits.
Short-term benefits:
- reduced digital eye strain
- decrease in headaches
- longer focusing ability
Long-term benefits:
- decrease in possible development of retinal diseases
- post-cataract surgery lens sustainability
- improved sleeping habits
Always see your optometrist to discuss blue light glasses. There are plenty of online retailers marketing their glasses as blue light filtering when they really aren’t. Have your optometrist check any glasses you buy to make sure they will protect from blue light or purchase directly from your optometrist for the most reliable glasses. For all of the students and working folks in the world, blue light glasses are your new best friends that can really help improve your health and performance overall. Totally worth the investment!
