Blue Light / Computer Glasses
What exactly is blue light?
Blue light, also known as high-energy visible (HEV) light, is a hue visible to human eyes in the visible light spectrum. Visible and non-visible light wavelengths are measured in nanometers (nm), and the shorter the wavelength, the greater the energy.
Blue light, like many other visible hues of light, is all around us. Blue light is largely produced by the sun as well as incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs. Humans everywhere are now more exposed to blue light than ever, owing to the large-spread use of LED technology.LED technology with high levels of blue light is used in computer and laptop displays, phones, flat-screen TVs, and tablets.
What health and eyesight problems can blue light cause?
Macular Degeneration
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), macular degeneration related to age is the leading reason for loss of vision in persons over 50. It occurs as you age when the macula, a region at the rear of your eye, gets damaged.
According to research, blue light exposure may cause age-related macular degeneration. According to one study, blue light causes the release of harmful chemicals in photoreceptor cells, causing damage that may lead to AMD.Consequently, you no longer have the capacity to view the centre of your field of vision. You may still be able to glimpse stuff on the outskirts. However, features and objects in the centre of your sight lines may become hazy and difficult to see with time.
Eye Strain
Most visible light scatters more readily than blue light. Exposure to blue light may make it difficult for your eyes to concentrate. Instead, your eye may digress blue light as poorly focused visual static. This decrease, in contrast, may make blue light processing more challenging for your eyes, perhaps leading to eyestrain.
However, there hasn’t been a sufficient study to establish that blue light causes eyestrain. More high-quality research is required.
Poor Sleep
Screen use, particularly at night, has been related to poor sleep. The blue light emitted by electronic gadgets disrupts your circadian rhythm or sleep cycle. It tells your brain to wake up when it should be sleeping. In one research, exposure to blue light at night for as little as 2 hours reduced or prevented the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Turning off your digital gadgets at least three hours before bed will help.
Blue Light Glasses
Blue-light blocking glasses feature filters in their lenses that absorb or block blue light and UV rays in certain circumstances. If you wear these glasses while gazing at a screen, particularly after dark, you may minimize your exposure to blue light waves, which can keep you awake.
Blue-light-blocking spectacles are designed to decrease eye strain, eye damage, and disrupted sleep. However, there isn’t much evidence to support the notion that the glasses accomplish this.If you’re going to be gazing at an electronic device for a lengthy period, the American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests using eyeglasses instead of contact lenses. This is because glasses are less prone than contact lenses to induce eye dryness and discomfort.
Benefits of Blue Light Glasses
- They may help to lessen eye strain – Working on a computer or smartphone all day may create issues ranging from neck pain to carpal tunnel syndrome, and it’s certainly not surprising that gazing at a screen for an extended period can induce eye strain. The strong blue light they generate is one of the reasons behind this. Using blue light blockers reduces eye tiredness and the symptoms accompanying it, such as headaches and impaired vision.
- They have the potential to delay or prevent age-related macular degeneration – More study is needed, but early studies show that since blue light penetrates the retina, blue-light-blocking eyewear may reduce the damage that will cause difficulties later in life.
- They will improve your sleep – Too much blue light late at night may disrupt your circadian rhythms by reducing or halting the generation of melatonin—the hormone in your brain that signals your body it’s time to sleep. Experts suggest shutting off gadgets that emit blue light at least two hours before bed, but we all know that’s not always feasible. Therefore blue light blockers are a requirement to prevent the detrimental side effects of late-night blue light exposure.
Disadvantages of Blue Light Glasses
- The blue light filters in the glasses modify the colour of everything in the yellow hue. This often makes it difficult to read the displays.
- Light blue spectacles increase the frequency of reports of scotopic vision loss.
- It also prompted worries about how colour perception may change.
- Blue light spectacles might not protect skin containing melanopsin, a photoreceptor that tells your body whether it is day or night. In a nutshell, they may disrupt your sleep pattern.
Alternatives to Blue Light Glasses
- Before going to bed, avoid using electronic devices.
- You should use blue light screen protectors or filters.
- Place your eyes a reasonable distance away from the computer screen.
- Regulate and lower the brightness of their smartphones’ screens.
- If someone has light sensitivity owing to migraines or other light-sensitive disorders, an FL-41 tint is a better alternative than blue light spectacles. The FL-41 shade, which ranges from pinkish to amber-like in colour, filters out blue and green wavelengths.
Do you need a prescription to get blue light glasses in Australia?
Computer glasses do not require a prescription. However, blue light filtering spectacles, commonly known as computer glasses, may be purchased with a prescription and non-prescription lenses.
Come visit our Eyes and Specs store where we offer a range of prescription blue lens glasses.