What is Blue Light?

What is Blue Light?
Much like ultraviolet or UV light, blue light is a portion of the visible light spectrum. Overexposure may lead to cataracts and other eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration . 

Blue Light Affects Sleeping Patterns
Scientists also know that blue light affects our sleep. Sunlight contains blue tinted light, which signals to our brains that it is time to be awake. This is good during the day when we need to be alert. However, sleep researchers have found that blue light interferes with sleep patterns because it suppresses melatonin production. Melatonin is the key component in our chemistry that makes us wind down and feel sleepy. 

Beyond sleep disturbances, many experts are concerned that blue tinted light exposure may be harmful to our vision. The American Macular Degeneration Foundation states that the most important hazard of blue light is retinal damage. The retina can be harmed by high-energy visible radiation of blue/violet light that penetrates the macular pigment found in the eye, and the amount of retinal damage varies based on the wavelength of light, intensity, and time of exposure. 

What can I do?
There are several ways to live in the digital world and protect your eyes. Make sure that you are viewing screens from an appropriate distance. Your computer screen should be at fingertip length when your arm is outstretched, directly in front of you. It's also important to take a break from screen use, by focusing on something over 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes or so. This is known as the 20-20-20 rule.

Glasses
You can also order special coatings for your glasses such as Crizal Prevencia which helps to reduce the blue light. Transitions lenses are also inherently blue light protective! Crizal Prevencia lenses reduce exposure to Harmful Blue Light while still allowing beneficial blue-turquoise light to pass through. Plus, they provide all the benefits of no-glare lenses. Help protect your eyes from blue-violet light with Crizal Prevencia lenses.

Author

David Greening, ABOC, BS(HONS) Ophth. Dispensing David is our resident optician, and has been in optics since 2002. He attained his Bachelor of Science degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing in Kent, England (2014). He has extensive experience, having managed his own practice for many years prior to arriving at Astorino & Associates Eye Center. He is a licensed American optician (ABOC) and is well-recognized for his quality of service, attention to detail, and patient care.