Blue Light Benefits and Disadvantages for Your Vision

Visible light is far more intricate than you may think. Stepping outdoors into sunlight; turning on a wall switch inside your home; turning on your computer, phone or other digital device — all of these things result in your eyes being exposed to a variety of visible (and in some cases invisible) light rays that can have a variety of results.

Many people are aware that sunlight includes visible light rays as well as invisible ultraviolet rays that can tan or burn the skin. However what lots of don’t know is that the visible light emitted by the sun consists of a series of different-colored light rays which contain various quantities of energy.

What Is Blue Light?

Sunshine contains red, orange, yellow, green and blue light rays and numerous tones of each of these colors, depending upon the energy and wavelength of the individual rays (likewise called electro-magnetic radiation). Integrated, this spectrum of colored light rays creates what we call “white light” or sunlight.

Without entering into complicated physics, there is an inverted relationship in between the wavelength of light rays and the amount of energy they consist of. Light rays that have reasonably long wavelengths include less energy, and those with short wavelengths have more energy.

Rays on the red end of the visible light spectrum have longer wavelengths and, therefore, less energy. Rays on the blue end of the spectrum have much shorter wavelengths and more energy.

The electromagnetic rays just beyond the red end of the visible light spectrum are called infrared — they are warming, however invisible.

The “warming lamps” you see keeping food warm at your regional eatery discharge infrared radiation. But these lamps also emit visible traffic signal so people understand they are on! The exact same is true for other types of heat lights.

On the other end of the visible light spectrum, blue light rays with the quickest wavelengths (and highest energy) are sometimes called blue-violet or violet light. This is why the invisible electromagnetic rays just beyond the visible light spectrum are called ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

The Perils And Benefits Of UV

UV rays have greater energy than visible light rays, that makes them capable of producing modifications in the skin that develop a suntan. In reality, the bulbs in tanning cubicles produce a controlled amount of UV radiation particularly for this factor.

However excessive exposure to UV causes a painful sunburn — and even worse, can result in skin cancer. These rays likewise can cause sunburned eyes — a condition called photokeratitis or snow blindness.

But ultraviolet radiation, in small amounts, also has beneficial effects, such as assisting the body manufacture sufficient quantities of vitamin D.

Blue light contributes to digital eye strain; computer system glasses that obstruct blue light may increase comfort.

Generally, researchers state the visible light spectrum comprises electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from 380 nanometers (nm) on the blue end of the spectrum to about 700 nm on the red end. (By the way, a nanometer is one billionth of a meter — that’s 0.000000001 meter!)

Blue light normally is defined as visible light varying from 380 to 500 nm. Blue light often is further broken down into blue-violet light (approximately 380 to 450 nm) and blue-turquoise light (roughly 450 to 500 nm).

So approximately one-third of all visible light is thought about high-energy visible (HEV) or “blue” light.

Key Points About Blue Light

Like ultraviolet radiation, visible blue light — the portion of the visible light spectrum with the shortest wavelengths and greatest energy — has both advantages and threats. Here are essential things you ought to understand about blue light:

1. Blue light is all over

Sunshine is the primary source of blue light, and being outdoors during daytime is where the majority of us get the majority of our direct exposure to it. But there are likewise lots of man-made, indoor sources of blue light, including fluorescent and LED lighting and flat-screen tvs.

Most especially, the display screens of computers, electronic notebooks, smartphones and other digital devices produce substantial quantities of blue light. The amount of HEV light these devices give off is just a portion of that given off by the sun. However the quantity of time people invest utilizing these devices and the proximity of these screens to the user’s face have numerous optometrist and other healthcare specialists worried about possible long-lasting results of blue light on eye health.

See also: Photochromic Lenses: Transitions Lenses And Adaptive Lenses Review

2. HEV light rays make the sky appearance blue

The short-wavelength, high-energy light rays on the blue end of the visible light spectrum scatter more quickly than other visible light rays when they strike air and water molecules in the atmosphere. The higher degree of scattering of these rays is what makes a cloudless sky look blue.

3. The eye is not very good at blocking blue light

Anterior structures of the adult human eye (the cornea and lens) are extremely reliable at blocking UV rays from reaching the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eyeball. In reality, less than one percent of UV radiation from the sun reaches the retina, even if you aren’t wearing sunglasses.

Keep in mind, though, that sunglasses that block 100 percent of UV are vital to secure these and other parts of the eye from damage that might lead to cataracts, snow loss of sight, a pinguecula and/or pterygium, as well as cancer.

On the other hand, virtually all visible blue light goes through the cornea and lens and reaches the retina.

4. Blue light exposure may increase the risk of macular degeneration

The fact that blue light permeates all the method to the retina (the inner lining of the back of the eye) is important, since lab research studies have actually revealed that excessive exposure to blue light can damage light-sensitive cells in the retina. This causes changes that look like those of macular degeneration, which can lead to permanent vision loss.

Also read: Eyes Sensitive to Light – Photophobia

Although more research is had to identify how much natural and man-made blue light is “excessive blue light” for the retina, numerous eye care providers are worried that the included blue light direct exposure from computer system screens, smartphones and other digital devices may increase an individual’s risk of macular degeneration later in life.

5. Blue light adds to digital eye strain

Due to the fact that short-wavelength, high energy blue light scatters more easily than other visible light, it is not as quickly focused. When you’re looking at computer screens and other digital devices that give off substantial quantities of blue light, this unfocused visual “noise” lowers contrast and can contribute to digital eye strain.

Research has actually revealed that lenses that block blue light with wavelengths less than 450 nm (blue-violet light) boost contrast significantly. For that reason, computer glasses with yellow-tinted lenses might increase comfort when you’re seeing digital devices for prolonged periods of time.

6. Blue light protection may be a lot more important after cataract surgery

The lens in the adult human eye blocks almost 100 percent of the sun’s UV rays. As part of the normal aging process, the eye’s natural lens eventually blocks some short-wavelength blue light also — the type of blue light probably to cause damage to the retina and result in macular degeneration and vision loss.

If you have cataracts and will have cataract surgery, ask your cosmetic surgeon what kind of intraocular lens (IOL) will be used to change your cloudy natural lens, and how much blue light security the IOL supplies. After cataract surgery you may benefit from spectacles that have lenses with a special blue light filter — particularly if you spend long hours in front of a computer screen or using other digital devices.

7. Not all blue light is bad

So, is all blue light bad for you? Why not obstruct all blue light, all the time?

Your optometrist can advise lenses and filters that secure your eyes from blue light.

Bad idea. It’s well documented that some blue light direct exposure is essential for great health. Research has actually shown that high-energy visible light increases awareness, assists memory and cognitive function and elevates mood.

In truth, something called light therapy is used to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) — a type of depression that’s related to modifications in seasons, with symptoms generally starting in the fall and continuing through winter season. The source of lights for this therapy produce intense white light that contains a significant quantity of HEV blue light rays.

Also, blue light is crucial in controling circadian rhythm — the body’s natural wakefulness and sleep cycle. Exposure to blue light during daytime hours helps preserve a healthful body clock. However too much blue light late during the night (checking out an unique on a tablet computer or e-reader at bedtime, for example) can disrupt this cycle, potentially causing sleepless nights and daytime tiredness.

Also read: Polarized Sunglasses

Blue Light Filters And Protective Eyewear

If you are utilizing your phone constantly — particularly if you use it mainly for texting, e-mailing and web browsing — a hassle-free way to minimize your blue light exposure is to use a blue light filter.

These filters are available for smartphones, tablets, and computer system screens and avoid substantial amounts of blue light emitted from these devices from reaching your eyes without affecting the exposure of the screen. Some are made with thin tempered glass that likewise protects your device’s screen from scratches.

Examples of blue light filters for digital devices consist of: Eyesafe (Health-E), iLLumiShield, RetinaShield (Tech Armor), Retina Armor (Tektide), Frabicon and Cyxus.

As pointed out above, computer system glasses also can be handy to lower blue light exposure from computers and other digital devices. These special-purpose glasses are readily available without a spectacles prescription if you have no requirement for vision correction or if you consistently wear contact lenses to fix your eyesight. Or they can be specifically prescribed to enhance your vision specifically for the distance from which you see your devices.

If you have presbyopia and consistently wear bifocals or progressive lenses, prescription computer system glasses offer you the additional benefit of a much bigger field of view for seeing your whole computer system screen clearly.

Keep in mind, though, that this type of computer eyeglasses is exclusively for seeing things within arm’s length and can not be worn for driving or other range vision requirements.

Also, a variety of lens manufacturers have actually presented unique glare-reducing anti-reflective coatings that likewise obstruct blue light from both natural sunshine and digital devices.

Ask your optometrist about which kind of vision correction and lens features best fit your needs for viewing your computer and other digital devices and securing your eyes from blue light.