Are blue-light glasses worth it?

You have probably heard that staring too long on the digital screen can damage your eyes. But do you really know why? It is because of blue light emitting from those screens.

Blue light is a form of visible light that has a short wavelength and high energy. When you hear wavelengths and light energy most people think of the sun; however, the sun is not the only source of light. Wavelengths and light energy emanate from laptops, tablets, and cell phones, too!

So you’re probably thinking: It’s just a cell phone light. What’s the big deal? Let’s put that into perspective. The sun emits blue light, ultraviolet rays, and infrared rays. Too much exposure to these rays can increase the risk of skin cancer, age spots, and wrinkles. In relation to the eyes, it can cause photokeratitis (sunburned eyes), pterygium (tissue growth on the eye), and cataracts. Luckily, there are products on the market such as sunscreen and sunglasses that can protect us from these negative results. On top of that, the surfaces of the eyes can block out a decent amount of the sun’s light from reaching the retina and causing permanent vision damage. The only light rays that the eyes are not good at blocking out is blue light.

 So you know the importance of wearing a hat or sunglasses when spending long periods of time outdoors to protect the eyes from the sun. But what happens when you go indoors? That blue light the sun was directing on you is now moved inside their man-made devices, and the sunglasses you use to block the sun outside are no longer effective inside. On top of that, you are most likely staring at your blue light emanating devices for excessive periods of time. In turn, you increase your risk of developing retina problems such as macular degeneration.

The solution: blue-light-blocking glasses. Blue-light glasses are like sunglasses for indoors. By wearing them anytime you use your device, you can help decrease the amount of blue light exposure your eyes are taking. These specialty glasses can create short-term and long-term benefits.

Short-term benefits:

• Reduced digital eye strain.
• Decrease in headaches.
• Longer focusing ability.

Long-term benefits:

• Decrease risk of retinal diseases.
• Post cataract surgery lens sustainability.
• Improved sleep.

 Unfortunately, there are plenty of online retailers marketing their classes as blue light filtering when they really aren’t. Professionally fabricated glasses purchased directly from a doctor are the most reliable blue-light filtering glasses.

For all the students and working people in the world who now find themselves spending far more time in front of screens, blue-light-glasses are their new best friends. They can really help improve eye health and performance. Totally worth the investment!