Do Blue Light Glasses Really Work?

There isn’t a buzzier buzz word in the optometry space at the moment than Blue Light. With more people working from home behind laptops and screens more than ever, it’s no wonder that the blue light fascination and exploration has gone wild. And we say for good reason! Our eyes weren’t built for looking at artificially lit pixels all day, so it’s important to take every measure to protect them. That’s where blue light filters come in…

What is blue light?

You might be surprised to learn that the main source of blue light actually comes from the sun (which also emits a range of other types of light). Blue light, however, is the portion of the visible light spectrum with the shortest wavelengths but the highest energy, making it extremely beneficial but also potentially harmful. Blue light from a screen is manmade and is emitted in high levels in most of our new generation devices.

How does blue light affect eyes?

Our eyes are awesome at blocking UV rays. The cornea and lens work hard at busting any UV rays from reaching the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eyeball so that less than 1% of UV rays actually reach the retina, even without sunglasses! Opposingly, practically all visible blue light passes straight through the eye anterior and reaches the retina.

If your retina is constantly bombarded with blue light (especially from a screen) you are put at risk of an array of eye degenerative diseases. Studies show that a retina exposed to too much blue light is more likely to have damaged light-sensitive cells. This causes changes that mimic macular degeneration, which could lead to vision loss.

Too much exposure to blue light is also responsible to the very twenty-first century optical issue, coined Digital Eye Strain. The short wavelength but high energy blue light emitted from screens is not as easily focused, which increases digital ‘noise’ and causes discomfort and strain.

It’s also worth noting that current research hasn’t identified how much blue light is too much blue light. All we know is that this pesky screen light can and is having damaging effects on those with frequent exposure.

How can I protect my eyes from blue light?

Don’t be afraid of what can happen from too much blue light, and act preventatively and with your eye health at the forefront of your device usage. There are so many great options in reducing your eye’s exposure to blue light, and our favourite is by using blue light glasses.

Blue light glasses work as filters in the lens that protect your eyes from screen emitted blue light. They can be applied to sunglasses or your prescription lenses. Blue light glasses are fantastic because they don’t change the appearance of your screen or surrounding whatsoever – they’re clear and fuss-free.

If you want to learn more about blue light filter options for your eyewear, get in touch with us today!