Not all light is created equal—or reflected equally! One of the main culprits of visual stress and vision damage is blue light, a technological byproduct that emanates from your smartphones, laptops, desktops, and smart TVs.
Blue Light also exists in the natural world—with the sun being the largest source of this phenomenon—but when it’s combined with all the other colors on the natural light spectrum, the power is dulled and the effects are washed out.
However, here on Earth, artificial Blue Light emits from fluorescent and LED lights, along with flat-screen LED televisions, computer monitors, smartphones, and tablet screens. While the amount of artificial Blue Light glowing forth on these devices is infinitesimal compared to what the sun produces, it can be potentially damaging because of the concentration of it, the close proximity of screens to your eyes, and the duration of time you spend staring at the device.
Blue Light passes through the cornea and lens, reaching the retina where it could potentially disturb vision and prematurely age the eyes. Too much exposure to the artificial Blue Light in all of your devices can wreak havoc on those light sensitive cells in your retina. This sustained assault on your eyes—morning, noon, and night—can lead to irreversible eye conditions like macular degeneration.
The American Optometric Association even describes a certain group of eye and vision-related problems such as Computer Vision Syndrome or Digital Eye Strain. This problem arises from prolonged use of anything with a digital screen that gives off Blue Light, and is manifested in symptoms like eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and even neck and shoulder pain.
That’s right. The effects of Blue Light don’t end at your eyes—instead, it can lead to a host of health challenges.
A pair of blue light glasses are an ideal computer companion.
Blue Light Glasses are treated to filter out Blue Light to effectively block the transmission of a range of wavelengths emitted from devices. Many times, these glasses are also treated to prevent glare to further lessen the strain on the eyes.
When outside, you wear sunglasses in order to block out harmful UV light and protect the ultra-sensitive parts of your eye. Blue Light Glasses operate under the same principle—but they are far more practical to wear around the house than dark-tinted sunglasses.
Blue Light Glasses protect your eyes while you stare at all your different screens all day, everyday. When you wear Blue Light Glasses, you feel more refreshed at the end of the day without dealing with bouts of blurry vision or dry eyes. What’s more, when your eyes are protected, you’ll experience less headaches, less neck and back pain, and more overall comfort.
Article credit: Steve Mosco
