Many of us know how important it is to protect our eyes from UV rays because of its harmful effects, but what about the blue light rays? How many hours do you spend in a day looking at a digital screen such as TV, computers, mobile devices, tablets and the like? How many hours a day are you exposed in fluorescent and LED lighting? Aside from the sun, all of the things mentioned are sources of blue light rays that can cause potential health problems.
What is Blue Light?
Blue light is a color in the visible light spectrum that can be seen by the human eye. Known as having a wavelength between 400 and 450 nm, blue light is a type of high-energy visible light. Blue light is everywhere; sources can be natural or artificial. Natural means the sunlight and artificial means the evolution of digital screen technology that uses LED lighting to enhance screen brightness and clarity. Computers and cell phones are the most popular sources of blue light. Computers are widely used and people, especially office workers, spend more than 6 hours a day looking at these devices. Cellular phones are increasingly becoming a need of every person. Let’s face the fact that long exposure to blue light emitted from electronic devices is inevitable. Luckily, experts have developed the blue light glasses that mitigate blue light’s harmful effects. Wearing these glasses decreases the amount of blue light your eyes are exposed to on a daily basis.
Effects of Blue Light Technology
Blue light can actually help regulate your circadian rhythm. It helps elevate your mood and boost your energy. However, excessive exposure to blue light especially at night can disrupt normal sleep schedules. We listed down the other effects of prolonged exposure to blue light.
- Eyestrain syndrome due to long exposure to digital screen which can result to blurry vision, difficulty in focusing, dry eyes and headaches.
- Increased depression.
- May cause permanent eye damage or vision loss.
- Higher risk of certain cancer.
- Higher risk of diabetes, obesity and even heart disease.
Everyone is being exposed to blue light and we all need protection against its harmful effects.
PIXEL Blue Light Glasses
As mentioned earlier in this article, there are available blue light filter coating that can be put on your glasses. These are commonly called blue light glasses. Much like a UV protection glasses that block out the harmful effects of the sun, blue light glasses will protect your eyes from the harmful rays emitted by smartphones and computer screens. There are variety of glasses out in the market today but we highly recommend the Pixel blue light glasses. Pixel glasses are handcrafted and features premium anti-reflective coating. These glasses can block 95% of blue light rays and 100% of UV rays, reduce computer glare and ease the symptoms of eyestrain. Adding to its remarkable feature is its lens which are virtually clear with no tint. Wearing blue light glasses will be beneficial to you if you’re one of the following:
- You spend more than 6 hours a day looking at any digital screens. If your daily activity includes staring at your computer screen at work, scrolling through your social media feeds or Netflix marathon late at night – you definitely need to wear blue light glasses to help protect your eyes and to prevent symptoms of eyestrain.
- You’re experiencing symptoms of digital eyestrain. Are you experiencing blurred vision, headaches, dry eyes or eye fatigue while looking at your computer screen? If so, then this is an indication that you have Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). When your eyes are exposed to strong amount of blue light, it will be stressed coping up with the High Energy Visible (HEV) wavelengths. Wearing blue light glasses will help the eyes relax during screen time.
- You’re experiencing sleep disorder. Exposing yourself to too much blue light at night will disrupt your circadian rhythms that impacts your sleeping schedule. Lack of sleep can increase depression, heart disease and diabetes.
- You’re working on a night shift schedule. Graveyard shifters are always exposed to blue light after the sun goes down. Protect your body and eyes by using blue light glasses during work. The glasses help your body regulate melatonin production that prevents certain type of cancer, obesity and heart disease.
- You want to maintain your eye health. Blue light is naturally emitted from the sun. So, even if you’re not always spending too much time staring at phones or computer screens, your eyes are still exposed to blue light. Over time, this can cause serious eye damage. This is also one of the reasons why as we get older, our vision gets weaker. Using blue light glasses can help prevent this from happening, ensuring your eyes are healthy over time.
- You want glasses for fashion. Many people are asking if they can wear glasses even if their vision is perfectly fine. The answer is strongly YES. In fact, it’s advisable to wear blue light glasses, aside from it protecting you from the harmful effects of blue light rays, it also has protection from UV rays. Just choose a style that fits your personality.
Other Tips to Prevent Blue Light’s Harmful Effects
- Refrain from using your cellular phones two (2) hours before bedtime. This will help minimize disruption of your sleeping schedule.
- Lower the brightness of your cellular phone or computer screen. If you’re using iPhone, you can utilize the Night Shift feature, it helps decrease the amount of blue light emitted by your phone.
- Don’t let your children spend more than two (2) hours a day looking at any device’s screen. Children below two (2) years of age should not be exposed to any digital screens.
- Eat foods that are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin such as kale, spinach and broccoli. Eating eggs at least four times a week also helps increase the concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin in our body.
- Have regular eye checkup. You can visit your ophthalmologist and ask for some recommendation on how to best protect your eyes from blue light rays – best eyewear, right nutrition and safe technology habits.