Why Is Blue Light Bad For Your Eyes?

Why Is Blue Light Bad For Your Eyes
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.

Can blue light permanently damage your eyes?

The bottom line – Blue light from electronic devices is not going to increase the risk of macular degeneration or harm any other part of the eye. However, the use of these devices may disrupt sleep or disturb other aspects of your health or circadian rhythm.

Is blue light blocking worth it?

Do Blue Light-Blocking Glasses Help With Eye Strain? – A recent study suggested that blue light-blocking glasses do not improve symptoms of digital eye strain. The American Academy of Ophthalmology does not recommend blue light-blocking glasses because of the lack of scientific evidence that blue light is damaging to the eyes.

What does blue light do to your brain?

Does the Light From a Phone or Computer Make it Hard to Sleep? My mom says I need to stop using my phone and laptop before bed because the light makes it harder to sleep. Is that really true? – Ash* Yes, it’s true: The light from a phone or laptop confuses the brain into thinking it’s time to wake up instead of fall asleep.

Light from electronic screens comes in all colors, but the blues are the worst. Blue light fools the brain into thinking it’s daytime. When that happens, the body stops releasing a sleep hormone called melatonin. Melatonin is nature’s way of helping us wind down and prepare for bed. The body starts releasing it a couple of hours before bedtime.

Darkness helps trigger the release of melatonin; blue light delays it. That’s bad enough, but it gets worse: Teens are more sensitive to the effects of blue light than adults are. So you’re more likely to be tossing and turning hours past your usual bedtime.

Add that to the other things that make it harder to sleep — like body clocks that make us, more homework and distractions, and early school start times — and it’s a recipe for feeling sleep deprived. Some people try to get around the blue-light problem by dimming their screens or wearing special glasses.

But there’s no proof that these work. The best way to be sure your brain is at its best for tests, sports, and other things that require focus is to follow your mom’s advice: Don’t use computers and other screens for an hour or two before bedtime. How do you fill that time? Call a friend instead of texting.

Do blue light glasses work?

People have started to worry about the health effects of blue light emitting from screens. For this reason, more and more people are wearing blue light glasses. Manufacturers claim that blue light glasses can filter out blue light and help reduce symptoms such as headaches, eyestrain, and poor sleep.

There is no scientific research to prove that blue light can damage the eyes or have other health effects. Likewise, there is no evidence that blue light glasses can reduce symptoms associated with looking at a digital screen for long periods. This article will look at research into blue light and the potential benefits of blue light glasses.

It will also explore computer vision syndrome and offer some practical tips for reducing symptoms of this condition.

Does your phone give off blue light?

How to turn off the blue light on my Android device – The majority of the Android devices feature a built-in blue light setting, one which you can enable by going to Settings and tap on Display. There you will find a setting named either Night Light or Blue Light, through which you can adjust the colouring temperature and schedule when you want to turn it on and off.

Do computer glasses really help?

Are Computer Glasses Worth It? – It’s clear there are benefits to computer glasses but are they worth it? Computer glasses won’t entirely prevent digital eye strain but they can help reduce your symptoms. While blue light filters do block it from reaching your eyes, there is no concrete evidence blue light harms your eyes,

Some professionals recommend them despite this.
Both anti-glare coating and computer progressive lenses can be effective ways to reduce symptoms of digital eye strain,
Your optometrist will recommend the best solutions for your concerns.
Computer glasses are only a small part of digital eye strain prevention.

Habit and ergonomic changes to your lifestyle are typically recommended as well.

Are there any downsides to blue light glasses?

Cons of Blue Light Glasses – • The blue cut lenses alter the colour of everything you see in the yellow hue. • Another blue cut lenses disadvantage is that they are unable to protect skin that also contains melanopsin, a photoreceptor that tells your body whether it is day or night.

A major blue cut lenses disadvantage is that the lenses have a bluish reflection.
The lenses of blue light filter glasses exhibit a little bluish sheen since they are designed to reflect this blue light.
This isn’t something you’ll notice when you’re wearing them, but it’s a feature that others will notice.

However, it’s merely a reflection that can only be seen in bright light.

Does blue light have any benefits?

Blue Light and Your Eyes Sunlight is made up of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet light. When combined, it becomes the white light we see. Each of these has a different energy and wavelength. Rays on the red end have longer wavelengths and less energy. Why Is Blue Light Bad For Your Eyes The largest source of blue light is sunlight. In addition, there are many other sources:

What color helps you sleep?

Is it better to sleep with other LED light colors? Pink could help you sleep – Questions about the potential of pink light to help with sleep are not uncommon. If you’d like a softer glow at night, pink might be worth trying out. However, there’s no currently available research backing pink’s viability as a sleep aid.

Since actual sunrise might be too early for most people, pink lighting might be a good option if you need light to wake up on time in the morning. Pink light sources are a good choice for your child’s bedroom. Not only do they provide a fairy tale feel, but they’re also soothing. As an alternative to conventional lighting, pink lights can help set the right mood in yoga rooms or your favorite space to relax in.

Does TV have blue light?

Whatever type of television you have, it emits light with most TVs emitting at least 50% of blue light. Because blue light is closer to UV rays on the light spectrum, it may have similar qualities to how it affects people.

Does blue light age your face?

Exposing Effects of Blue Light on Skin Medically Reviewed by on September 16, 2022 The next time you snap a selfie, zoom in for a closer look. Your smartphone – along with tablets, laptops, and TV screens – gives off blue light. Certain waves of blue light in varying degrees of strength may be shown to cause changes in your skin- although likely the amount from these devices is nothing to worry about.

RedOrangeYellowGreenBlueIndigoViolet

You may know them by the acronym ROY G BIV. Together, they make the white light you see when the sun – the main source of blue light – is shining. Fluorescent and LED (light-emitting diode) light bulbs also give off blue light. And just like ultraviolet, or UV, rays, which are linked to skin damage, it can affect your skin.

Research shows blue light from electronic devices can lead to changes in your skin cells, including cell shrinkage and death.
These speed up the aging process.
Even exposures as short as 60 minutes can trigger these changes.
Too much blue light could also lead to pigmentation.
One study linked blue light exposure to more swelling, redness, and pigment changes in people with darker skin.

Although it can negatively impact your skin when used in certain ways, blue light also has healing properties. In one study, a blue light device was used to treat a patch of psoriasis in people with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis. This was done for 4 weeks and helped ease redness and shrink the patch’s size.

There were no serious side effects.
It’s also been used to treat mild to moderate acne.
A study found blue light lowered the number of blackheads, whiteheads, and other acne after 7 days of treatment.
Actinic keratosis is scaly bumps that show up on the face, ears, lips, hands, and other areas of skin exposed to the sun.

They sometimes grow into skin cancer. Blue light helps lower the number of these precancerous patches, treating large areas of skin with few side effects. Blue light is also part of photodynamic therapy. It’s a treatment that uses certain kinds of light to activate a class of drugs – called photosensitizing agents – to kill cancer cells.

Does blue light speed up aging?

A study shows that too much screen time could be causing you to age faster. Scientists studying fruit flies found that high-energy doses of blue light appear to damage a wide range of cells, from skin and fat cells to sensory neurons. They say the light can alter essential chemicals that help the cells function.

These changes may accelerate the cell’s aging and lead them to dying prematurely. Scientists say their findings suggest avoiding excessive exposure to blue light from phones, computers, and TV’s may be a good anti-aging strategy. ALSO READ | NYPD releases bodycam of officer hitting woman, mayor defends police – * Get Eyewitness News Delivered * Follow us on YouTube * More local news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts Copyright © 2023 WABC-TV.

Do blue lights cause depression?

Blue Light Can Lead to the Blues Medically Reviewed by on September 16, 2022 Too much screen time could be taking a toll on your mental health. That’s because your smartphone, tablet, laptop, and TV all give off blue light. So do fluorescent and LED (light-emitting diode) light bulbs. While evidence is growing that shows blue light can be helpful during the day, nighttime exposure has been linked to health issues like sleeplessness and mood disorders.

RedOrangeYellowGreenBlueIndigoViolet

You may know them by the acronym ROY G BIV. Together, they make the white light you see when the sun – the main source of blue light – is shining. Scientists think nighttime exposure to blue light throws off your circadian rhythm, or sleep/wake cycle. This could lead to symptoms of depression.

That’s because your circadian rhythm plays a role in several brain and behavioral processes, like neurotransmission and hormone secretion.
The risks are higher if you spend time on digital devices or get exposed to other sources of blue light after the sun goes down.
An animal study found mice exposed to dim light in the evening for 4 weeks showed higher rates of depressive symptoms than mice exposed to the normal light-dark cycle.

Blue light also slows or stops your body’s release of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. In one study, participants using an e-reader at bedtime took longer to fall asleep and reported feeling groggy the next morning. Another study showed just 2 hours of blue light exposure in the evening can impact the release of melatonin.

How can you tell if blue light glasses are fake?

Look at a Spectrum Report – Most companies that sell blue light glasses will have a spectrum report on hand that shows how much blue light the glasses actually filter. This is the only way to know for sure whether or not your glasses are actually blue light blocking glasses.

What happens if you stay in Bluelight?

How Does Blue Light Affect Sleep? – Circadian rhythms are finely-tuned, 24-hour cycles that help our bodies know when to carry out essential functions Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.

See Full Reference,
Light is the most important factor in aligning circadian rhythms Trusted Source Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School A production of WGBH Educational Foundation and the Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine.
See Full Reference and, for much of human history, these rhythms were closely aligned with sunrise and sunset Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.

See Full Reference, With the advent of artificial light and electronics, people are being exposed to increasing amounts of light before bedtime. While all types of visible light can affect circadian rhythms, blue light has the largest impact Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.

See Full Reference,
We get the most of our exposure to blue light from the sun.
Blue light stimulates parts of the brain that make us feel alert Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.

See Full Reference, elevating our body temperature and heart rate. During the day, blue light can improve performance and attention, tuning our circadian rhythm and setting us up for a better night’s sleep after the sun sets. Properly-timed exposure to blue light can treat several sleep disorders.

Circadian rhythm disorders occur when a person’s circadian rhythms aren’t in alignment with their environment. Light therapy, and blue light in particular Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.

See Full Reference, can help realign the body’s circadian rhythms and improve sleep. Blue light suppresses the body’s release of melatonin Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.

See Full Reference, a hormone that makes us feel drowsy.
While this may be helpful during the day, it becomes unhelpful at night when we’re trying to sleep.
Being exposed to blue light in the evening can trick our brain into thinking it’s still daytime, disrupting circadian rhythms and leaving us feeling alert instead of tired.

Chronic misalignment of circadian rhythms can also lead to many negative health impacts Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.

How far away should your phone be when you sleep?

How can I prevent my cell phone from disturbing my sleep? – Simply,

Keep your cell phone at least 3 feet away from your bed to limit radio frequency exposure
Turn your cell phone off before you go to bed (if you don’t rely on your phone’s alarm clock)
Turn your phone on Airplane Mode

Knowing this information now, take every precaution you can as a cell phone user and please have a cell-less sleep tonight.

What happens if you wear blue light glasses everyday?

Wearing Blue Light Glasses All Day – As you probably know, blue light glasses or blue blockers are designed to reduce exposure to blue light. The slightly yellowish coating is designed to balance out the blue light emitted by digital screens, thus reducing the amount of potentially harmful light that reaches your retina.

This is said to help reduce eye strain and make screen use more comfortable.
You can buy blue light glasses with or without a prescription, and the coating can be applied to the glasses you wear for everyday vision correction, including reading glasses,
But does that mean you can wear blue light glasses all the time? Yes, it is okay to wear blue light glasses all day.

Whether you’re wearing blue blocking glasses without a prescription or a special blue filter on your regular glasses, your eyes will not suffer any negative effects from wearing them all the time.

Can your eyes become dependent on blue light glasses?

Key takeaways: – Blue light itself is not harmful- as long as it’s coming from natural sources. The excessive blue light that we receive from screens, devices, and LED lighting has been scientifically proven to cause eye-strain, disrupt sleep cycle and cause cardiovascular problems.

Can light permanently damage your eyes?

Research Findings on Bright Lights and Eye Damage – In the Chesapeake Bay Waterman Study, which analyzed fisherman exposed to bright light reflected off the water every day, blue light exposure was found to increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

This conclusion, while suggestive, as not definitive, since it is difficult to quantify light exposure in everyday life.
In experimental mice, bright light does cause permanent retinal damage.
If the light has the intensity of sunlight, short exposure times can cause damage.
If the light is not quite so bright, chronic exposure over days to weeks can cause permanent damage.

This is thought to be due to what is called photo-oxidative damage; the light reacts with the retina to produce molecules that are very reactive and cause damage to surrounding molecules. If light exposure is a risk factor for AMD, then it would be expected that people with lighter colored eyes, which let in more light, would have a higher risk.

Indeed, African-Americans have a much lower risk of AMD than Caucasians.
Some studies have suggested that people with blue eyes have the highest risk.
Some experimental mice and even a particular breed of dog have genetic mutations that make their retinas extremely sensitive to light; permanent retinal damage can be caused by light levels that would not harm animals with normal retinas.

Analogously, people with AMD,, or retinitis pigmentosa may be more susceptible to retinal light damage than people with normal retinas.

Does blue light coating affect vision?

Do Blue Light Blocking Glasses Really Work? NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks to vision researcher Mark Rosenfield about the efficacy of blue light-blocking glasses. LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST: Screen time has gone up during the pandemic. Many of us, of course, are working from home.

Ids are schooling at home, clicking on computers rather than raising their hands in classrooms.
And this has resulted in what’s known as digital eye strain, tired and dry eyes from so much screen time.
So some have turned to blue light-blocking glasses.
Sales have more than doubled during the pandemic, but are they worth the cost? Dr.

Mark Rosenfield is a professor at the College of Optometry at State University of New York. He conducted two studies on the effectiveness of blue light-blocking glasses on digital eye strain, and he joins us now. Welcome to the program. MARK ROSENFIELD: Thank you.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: So what did your study discover about wearing these glasses? ROSENFIELD: Both of the studies actually found that the blue-blocking filters have no effect, no significant effect on digital eye strain. This didn’t really come as a major surprise to us because there really is no mechanism whereby the blue light should be causing digital eye strain.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: I have to say that feels like a big reveal, but I’m not surprised. It always feels like these things might just be sort of gimmicks. I mean, how did you prove that in your study? ROSENFIELD: Well, we did two studies. The first study, we used the filter that blocked almost 100% of the blue light.

And we had the subjects read from a tablet computer for about 30 minutes.
And we found no significant difference in symptoms, whether they were using the blue-blocking filter or they were just using a tinted lens, in effect.
Now, because that filter blocked almost 100% of the blue light, and very few commercially available lenses actually do that, we redid the study.

But this time, we used commercially available spectacle lenses that typically only block around 20 to 25% of the blue. And the second study was done on a double-blind basis, which meant that the subjects didn’t know whether they were looking through the blue-blocking filters or just a clear lens.

And the experimenter also didn’t know which lens that the subjects were looking through. And again, we found exactly the same effect – that the blue-blocking filters produced no significant change in symptoms of digital eye strain. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So what is the cause of digital eye strain? ROSENFIELD: We think – it’s not so much the screens themselves but rather the way people use them.

They tend to hold them at pretty close distances, especially smartphones. We found that people were holding them sometimes as close as 8, 9 inches away, whereas printed material is typically held around 16 inches away. And also people tend to look at these screens for very long periods of time without taking breaks.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: So these glasses – are they good for anything at all? ROSENFIELD: The only thing they may be good for is that studies have shown the blue light can interfere with our bodies’ light cycle.
So we all have natural rhythm so that we know when we get tired, when it’s time to go to bed.
If you want to look at your screen late at night, which probably isn’t a good idea – but unfortunately many of us still do, then the blue-blocking filters might be useful in that regard.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: So what can we do to sort of minimize digital eye strain, since so many of us are needing to be in front of a screen at this time? ROSENFIELD: Well, taking breaks, I think, is very important. We talk about the 20, 20, 20 rule, where every 20 minutes it’s a good idea to look at something at least 20 feet for at least 20 seconds.

Try and increase the viewing distance, especially with a handheld device like a phone or a tablet. Don’t hold it so close because the closer you hold something, the harder the eyes have to work to focus. So we recommend the device should never be less than 16 inches away. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Dr. Mark Rosenfield is a vision researcher at State University of New York.

Thank you so much. ROSENFIELD: My pleasure. Thank you. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Copyright © 2021 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website and pages at for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future.