Digital Screen Protection: Blue Light Lenses

The situation with the current global pandemic of Covid-19 means that more of us are working from home more than ever before. Even if you don’t usually spend all of your work-life using digital devices, chances are that your use of them has increased during the last 12 months as you use them to stay in contact with your colleagues. Many of us are also relying much more heavily on our digital devices to stay in touch with our family and friends at this unprecedented time, where we can’t necessarily meet with them in person. Unfortunately, this increased use of technology could be starting to put a strain on our eyes. The reason for this is because our digital devices are a source of blue light.

What is Blue Light and Why is it Bad For Our Eyes?

Blue light is one of the colors on the visible light spectrum. This means that we can see it. In fact, the sun is our main source of blue light, which is the reason that the sky looks blue on bright, sunny days. Blue light also has a short wavelength, and this means that it produces higher levels of energy. We all need some blue light in our lives as it does have a number of positive effects, including boosting our mood, memory, and concentration levels and regulating our sleep-wake cycles. However, too much blue light has been shown to be harmful. 

The sun isn’t our only source of blue light. Fluorescent and LED lighting is another common source. However, one area of our lives that produces a great deal of blue light is our digital devices. This includes laptops, computers, television screens, smartphones, tablets, and more. Spending large periods of time on these devices can lead to overexposure to blue light and the negative effects it causes.

What are the Effects of Overexposure to Blue Light?

Too much exposure to blue light can have some immediate and longer-term consequences. Short-term/immediate effects include the following:

• Eyestrain

• Headaches/migraines

• Blurred vision

• Dry eyes

• Inability to focus

• Eye fatigue

• Disrupted sleep pattern

• Sensitivity to light

• Dizziness and nausea

Blue light can also increase your risk of developing a number of ocular health problems. This is because blue light penetrates all the way through the eye to the retina, which is the area of light-sensitive cells at the very back of the eye. Research has indicated that blue light can damage these cells, causing changes to them that closely resemble macular degeneration.

Digital Screen Protection Using Blue Light Lenses

Blue light lenses, also known as blue light blocking lenses, are special lenses that are designed to stop blue light from reaching your eyes. They can be placed into most styles of glasses and suit the vast majority of patients. Depending on which blue light lenses you choose, the filters within the lens either blocks or absorbs the blue light so that it can no longer pass through them and reach your eyes, helping to reduce or even eliminate the effects of blue light overexposure. Blocking blue light will also prevent the potential damage that it can cause to your long-term vision and eye health.

For more advice on digital screen protection, don’t hesitate to speak to our experienced and knowledgeable team in New York, NY. 

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