We live in a technology age, where everyone has smartphones, laptops, iPads, which they use to carry out their daily activities. When using handheld devices, like those mentioned above, we expose our eyes to the blue light emitting from the screens, which is not healthy for the eyes.
The health repercussions of blue light include the damaging of the rods, and cones in the retina, eye strain, fatigue, and also computer vision syndrome, which comes with symptoms like; dry eyes, headaches, blurred vision, and so on. This is something to worry about.
This is because according to Cleveland Clinic blue light glasses are said to block or filter out the blue light given off from digital screens. “blue light is the shortest wavelength of light on the visible light spectrum”. “The blue light is a short-wave light in the spectrum of colors visible to the human eye, which cause significant damage to many parts of the eye”.
Blue light is everywhere, and it can be divided into two sources, which are the artificial source, (which includes laptops, mobile phones, LED lights, fluorescent bulbs), and the natural source which is the sun.
Blue light has a short wavelength, therefore, it possesses more energy than other light types.
Note: The sun is the main source of natural blue light. During the daytime, blue light from the sun is good for you and your health.
What are blue light glasses?
Most people think that blue light glasses are different from computer glasses. There are two types of blue light glasses which are;
•Blue light glasses for daytime use.(computer glasses also known as computer screen glasses). The primary purpose of blue light glasses for daytime ( computer screen glasses) is to reduce digital eye strain. Blue light glasses for daytime are clear, and they provide protection from computer screen.
•Blue light glasses tinted for evening and nighttime use. They are Amber coloured lenses that block 100% of blue light and 43% of green light.
Note; After sundown, humans are not advised to expose themselves to any form of blue light, because the continuous exposure to blue light after sundown affects the sleep-wake cycle.
“Blue light glasses are mostly for people with a special sensitivity towards blue light, or for those who are always working or are active on the computer late at night”.
Blue light glasses have the ability to filter out blue light due to the type of materials they are made of. Blue light glasses are made up of filtering materials and surface coatings, which helps them block blue light.
Blue light glasses limit the exposure your eyes get every day to blue light, due to its lens, which partially blocks blue light. They can be used to reduce the side effects of blue light e.g (dry eyes).
Exposure to Blue light disturbs the body’s production of sleep hormone(melatonin), making it difficult to fall asleep or to stay asleep after using your smartphone or computer at night. Hence, the blue light glasses, minimize these effects which happen after using your smartphone or any handheld device at night.
Do I really need blue light glasses?
When your eyes start experiencing different symptoms of exhaustion, after a very long time of being on the digital screen, then it’s time for you to benefit from the blue light glasses. These symptoms include;
- Eye strain
- Dry eyes
- Blurred vision
- Headaches
Why do I need blue light glasses?
The human eyes are not strong enough to block blue light, so it is very important to support the eye by using blue-light-blocking glasses because the primary damage to the human eyes is caused by blue light. The following reasons are why you need blue light glasses.
- Blue light-blocking glasses ease eye discomfort
Most times, starring at a screen all day, or for most hours of the day, leaves you feeling worn out, or leaves you with eye strain, and sometimes muscle strains as well. Blue light makes it difficult for the human eyes to focus on the screen however, blue light glasses help in the enhancement of your eye focus, by increasing the contrast on your screen, and reduce eye strains, due to their ability to filter blue light.
- Sleep better with blue light glasses
When we spend time on a screen, before going to bed, we become alert, instead of feeling sleepy, because blue light has a high frequency, which holdups the release of melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone) in the body, leaving you alert when you finally decide to go off your screen.
Note; The sleep-inducing hormone (melatonin), starts functioning in the body system, hours before bedtime.
It is advisable to abstain from using handheld devices( smartphones, tablets, Ipads), or other devices (television), a couple of hours before bedtime. If in unavoidable circumstances, you need to use these devices before bed, then it’s advisable to use blue light glasses, which can help reduce blue light impact to the eyes.
- Reduced risk of eye diseases
There are several parts of the eyes that are affected by blue light. These parts of the eyes are good at blocking out dangerous ultraviolet (UV) light, from gaining access to the retina, which are the cornea, and the eye lens.
Yes! These parts protect the eyes from UV light, they however can’t block the blue light.
Conditions like Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are a known cause of blindness, which can be heightened by the damage of the retina.
Nevertheless, the appropriate prevention for this (AMD) is to use blue light glasses, which delays this condition by blocking the blue light from reaching the eyes.
- Fewer headaches
When our eyes are exposed to bright light especially blue light, it is very possible that we can develop headaches or migraines, from the intensity of this light. However, when these lights are blocked with blue light glasses, the headaches and migraines lessen.
When can I wear blue light glasses?
Have you ever wondered if it is appropriate, or advisable to wear blue light glasses for straight twenty-four hours, or to wear them at certain times?
Well, it really is not bad to wear blue light glasses all day, especially if you are comfortable in them. However, it is essential to understand that blue light especially the blue light from the natural source( sun) is not entirely bad for you, as it is healthy in a small quantity because it regulates the circadian rhythm.
Wearing blue light glasses all day is not harmful to the eyes. Nevertheless, you need to wear them when you are either using digital handheld devices, the television, especially during nighttime and also when you are outside.
Finally, when purchasing blue light glasses( computer glasses) they should have anti-glare features, slight magnification features, and decentered pupillary distance features.
