How To Protect Your Eyes From Blue Light?
How To Protect Against Blue Light and Digital Eye Fatigue March is Save Your Vision Month, so we thought we’d address a common challenge we see in our offices: Digital eye strain, resulting from spending excess time staring at digital screens that emit blue light.
You’ve likely heard about blue light and its effect on the human body in the news. But what exactly is “blue light,” and why should you be concerned about it? Those are the two questions we’ll answer in this post. What is blue light? Blue light is our name for a visible light spectrum that exists in the range from 420 to 480 nm—which means that it’s very near on the light spectrum to the invisible ultraviolet (UV) light emitted by the sun.
Blue light is a short wavelength, high-intensity light that can be both harmful and beneficial. On the positive side, blue light is what makes the sky look blue. On the negative side, it can cause glare or hazy vision, and long-term exposure to it may be harmful to your eyes.
- While you’ve likely heard that blue light is produced by digital device screens, you may or may not know this fact: The sun is by far the largest producer of blue light.
- The sun’s UV rays produce far more blue light than other light sources.
- The issue with digital devices is that we often have them quite close to our faces for hours at a time, so blue light exposure from devices can be quite intense.
When your eyes absorb blue light, it acts to suppress melatonin – the natural hormone that prompts your body to get sleepy after the sun goes down. That’s beneficial during the day (or while you’re trying to stay awake through a long Zoom presentation).
But, it can be troublesome at night if you spend time on a digital device close to bedtime when you want your body to produce melatonin and help you get a good night’s sleep. According to the Vision Council, more than 80% of adults report using a digital device—and therefore staring at a screen—in the hour before they (try to) go to sleep.
Why should I be concerned about blue light? When you spend a lot of time looking at screens, your eyes are exposed to abnormal amounts of blue light. Studies show that can upset your sleep/wake cycle and cause sleep deprivation. In addition, the intense focus necessary to look at screens—especially the “tiny Internet” on your phone—can cause digital eye strain.
- Digital eye strain symptoms include dry, itchy or tired eyes; headaches; and blurred vision.
- You might even feel like you can’t keep your eyes open for another minute.
- According to the, exposure to blue light “Is a risk factor for the onset of age-related macular degeneration, a deterioration of the part of the retina responsible for sharp, central vision.” How can I protect my eyes from blue light? We’re glad you asked! Proper eyewear is the best way to protect your eyes from the side effects of blue light.
Here’s what we recommend:
When outdoors, wear sunglasses with high-quality lenses that block 99 to 100% of UV radiation and around 75 to 90% of visible light. When using your cell phone, tablet, computer or other digital device, wear computer glasses that have a special blue light filter coating. This coating will protect your eyes and ease the strain on your visual system. Practice the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes or so, stop what you’re doing on that screen and shift your gaze 20 feet away and focus on an object for 20 seconds. You can also blink your eyes quickly 20 times after that for an added refresher. Make your appointment for a comprehensive annual eye exam so you can visit our eye care team. We’ll make sure your eyes are healthy and that you’ll continue to see your best!
: How To Protect Against Blue Light and Digital Eye Fatigue
Can blue light damage the eye?
How harmful is blue light? – Blue light exposure from screens is small compared to the amount of exposure from the sun. However, there is concern about long-term effects of screen exposure from digital devices. This is especially true when it comes to too much screen time and screens too close to the eyes.
According to the Vision Council, 80% of American adults use digital devices more than two hours per day. Nearly 67% use two or more devices at the same time. Fifty-nine percent have symptoms of digital eye strain. Since our eyes are not good at blocking blue light, nearly all visible blue light passes through the front of the eye (cornea and lens) and reaches the retina, the cells that convert light for the brain to process into images.
Constant exposure to blue light over time could damage retinal cells and cause vision problems such as age-related macular degeneration, It can also contribute to cataracts, eye cancer and growths on the clear covering over the white part of the eye.
- According to a vision study by the National Eye Institute, children are more at risk than adults because their eyes absorb more blue light from digital devices.
- People also tend to blink less when using digital devices, which contributes to dry eye and eye strain.
- Other common signs of eye strain include headaches, blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pain.
According to the Vision Council, 27% to 35% of Americans reported experiencing one of these symptoms after using digital devices.
Do eye drops help with blue light?
Other ways to protect your eyes from blue light – The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends the follow steps to manage the risks from blue light exposure: The 20/20/20 rule to prevent eye strain While you’re using a computer or device that emits blue light, every 20 minutes stop to focus on an object that is around 20 feet away.
- Focus on that object for at least 20 seconds before you return to your up-close work.
- Eep your eyes moist While using blue-light-emitting devices, eye drops, such as artificial tears, and room humidifiers, can protect your eyes from becoming too dry and irritated.
- Use eyeglasses with the right prescription Squinting at screens for long periods of time isn’t good for your eyes’ overall health.
If you wear eyeglasses to correct your vision, be sure the prescription is for the distance between your eyes and your screen, which should be at least an arm’s length away. The majority of glasses are designed for greater distances. Adjust the blue light on your screen Adjusting your screen to a night setting with warmer tones can help reduce the risk of eye strain and sleep disturbance.
Do iphones have blue light filter?
Windows – To activate the blue light filter feature, ‘Night Light’, on Windows 10, right click on your desktop > Display Settings, This will open a window where you can toggle the blue light filter. To configure the feature, go to Night Light Settings, to adjust the colour temperature and schedule blue light filtering between specific times.
What device emits the most blue light?
Smartphones and Tablets These put out more blue light than any other color. But your device may have a ‘night’ mode.