Back in September, the Metro Eye blog touched on the subject of blue light and how it impacts your vision health. With most of us spending more and more time looking at computer screens and our cell phones, we thought we could dive deeper into the science behind blue light and showcase some ways to protect your eyes from the harmful effects of it.
Let’s Talk About Light
What exactly is blue light and where does it come from? Like all good questions, there can be a complicated answer. In layman’s terms, blue light is the visible section of the light spectrum, which reaches deeper into your eye than its well-known cousin Ultraviolet (UV) light. Natural blue light can come from the Sun, while the more dangerous artificial blue light comes from man-made objects like computer screens and televisions.
You experience natural blue light everyday and it is considered good for you. Natural blue light helps to regulate your sleep patterns, increase alertness and cognitive function, and it can even boost your mood.
Too much blue light from artificial sources can disrupt your sleep pattern, damage your eyes, and may lead to age-related macular degeneration.
Fight Back
So we know blue light is natural and good for us in moderation, but how can we protect ourselves from over exposure? The biggest culprit of over exposure to blue light is our electronics. Many of us have office jobs in which we use a computer all day. Taking frequent breaks from staring at your computer screen can make a big difference in protecting your eyes from blue light. Just 2 straight hours of looking at a computer can cause eye strain, so remember to look way from time to time.
One of the best ways to protect your eyes from blue light is to use glasses with Blutech lenses. These lenses have a slight orange tint and are designed for lifelong preservation of eye health and prevention of macular degeneration. Stop by Metro Eye to try out a pair of glasses featuring Blutech lenses today!
Another way to fight back is by using, F.lux, a program you can install on your computer that automatically dims your computer screen to match the natural lighting of the Sun. As the afternoon moves along your computer screen will gradually dim to protect your eyes. Now you can burn the midnight oil without putting your vision health in danger.
We also suggest avoiding smart phones or tablets in dark rooms or even before you go to bed. Exposure to blue light from our mobile devices in dark environments can increase eye fatigue and throw off your sleep patterns. Try giving yourself at least an hour of time without your mobile device before you to go bed.
Want to learn more about the effects of blue light, how to prevent it, or the benefits of anti-blue light lenses? Schedule an appointment online or give us a call at (414)-727-5888.