In this article:
What are blue light glasses?
Are blue-light lenses effective in protecting the eyes?
What to Look for When Buying Blue Light Glasses
The big question: Is it safe to constantly wear blue light glasses?
Alternatives
FAQ
We cannot simply avoid using gadgets most of the time because, as we all know, everything revolves around technology these days. We use devices for work, school, streaming, communicating, and many more. Thus, people don’t even realize how long we stare at our screens, and the last thing we know is that it is damaging for the eyes.
Because of these circumstances, blue light glasses are widespread among many people as it is known to reduce damage when using devices such as our mobile phones and laptops. The question is, can we use blue light all the time?
Table of Contents
What are blue light glasses?
To begin, let’s discuss blue light. What is it about blue light that people believe it’s dangerous?
You can see blue light just like any other color of visible light. Blue light is emitted from the sun. Both incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs fall into this category. Humans are now exposed to more blue light than ever before because of the widespread use of LED devices.
There are many devices with screens that emit blue light. These include your computer, mobile device, flat-screen television, and more. However, screens indeed emit far less blue light than the sun.
Market claims these glasses and lenses have been created to reduce the harmful effects of blue light. Wearing blue light glasses is meant to alleviate the adverse effects of staring at a computer or smartphone all day.
Are blue-light lenses effective in protecting the eyes?
Blue light glasses have been found to have insufficient evidence to support their claimed benefits. Emory University’s Professor of Ophthalmology Susan Primo agrees that research so far shows that digital overuse rather than blue light is responsible for eye problems.
However, other studies have shown that wearing blue light glasses can help alleviate sleep disturbances. In the morning, blue light stimulates us and wakes us up. If you use your phone, tablet, or computer late at night, you may find it difficult to fall asleep because of the blue light.
What to Look for When Buying Blue Light Glasses
You need to know the glasses’ transmittance spectrum to get the full range of blue-light protection. This is the amount of light that makes it to the eyes from the lens of the glasses. A minimum of 50% to over 95% is ideal for the best blue-light glasses, which will also shield your retinas from wavelengths as short as 455 nanometers.
In addition, you should think about obtaining prescriptions specifying what your eyes require.
The big question: Is it safe to constantly wear blue light glasses?
Yes, you can wear blue light glasses all day, and they won’t have any negative impact on your health or vision. Because blue light glasses can protect your eyes from the harmful effects of blue light, wearing them all day will have small to immense benefits to your health.
If you constantly need to use electronic devices and do not have an option to reduce screen time, especially for work, it is beneficial to wear them as you please. On the other hand, those who don’t spend a lot of time in front of screens can wear them too; they won’t affect nor damage their eyes.
Alternatives
Choosing not to wear blue light glasses is perfectly acceptable since they don’t work for everyone. In addition, what can you do to alleviate eye-related issues, such as eye strain? Here are some alternatives you can do for eye care:
- Avoid using electronic devices late at night or in the hours leading up to bedtime if you want to get a better night’s sleep.
- Keep an eye on the lighting in your workspace. Increasing the contrast on your screen may help.
- Set your computer or seat so that your eyes are approximately 25 inches away from the screen. The screen should be positioned so that you’re looking down at it.
- Soothe your dry eyes with artificial tears.
FAQ
- How do you know if you need blue light glasses?
Consider blue light glasses if you have difficulty sleeping after a lot of screen time and experience eye strain. This may or may not help you; some people experience less eyestrain. We strongly suggest that you see an ophthalmologist for better treatment and advice if you have eye problems.
- Can blue light glasses damage your eyes?
It’s not harmful to wear blue light glasses even though they won’t help prevent digital eye strain. It can never damage your eyes.
- Do blue light glasses help with headaches?
Blue light-blocking eyewear is not any better at reducing eye fatigue than plain clear lenses. As a result, they won’t be able to help with eye strain-induced headaches.
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