How dangerous is blue light anyways?

Blue light is not a new phenomenon, but we are, in recent years, realizing the potential threat it could cause after long term exposure to man-made sources of blue light. What is it you ask and how dangerous is it anyway? We are here to explain! 

Blue light, is one of the visible rays of light that are part of the electromagnetic spectrum. It has a very short wavelength, because of this it produces a higher amount of energy.

It can be found in sunlight as well as the handheld electronics we use daily, computers and televisions. Most of us, in this day and age, are exposed to an excess of it. 

It’s Not All Bad

There are some perks to blue light, it doesn’t need to be avoided altogether. It is known to be beneficial during daylight hours to help boost alertness, attention, mood, and reaction time. It can also be linked to helping memory and elevating your mood.

The concern is that long term exposure to blue light over time can eventually cause some serious eye issues. Some signs you are looking at too much blue light is if you have:

Eyestrain

Difficulty focusing 

Frequent headaches

Physical fatigue

Mental fatigue

Trouble sleeping

Or blurry vision 

Long Term Effects of Blue Light

It is also suspected to increase the risk of macular degeneration which could lead to vision loss in extreme cases.

Since the invention of the television, we have been increasing our exposure to this light year after year. From work to play, we are usually looking at a screen for a significant amount of time. Since we care so much about your eyes here at TriCounty Eye Associates, we want to be sure you have the right equipment. 

What Can You Do?

You can fight the long term effects of over exposure a couple of different ways. The first is pretty obvious…limit your time staring at electronics. While some electronics can’t be avoided like your work computer, others can have time limits set like your cell phone, tablet, or televisions. For the ones you HAVE to look at we recommend utilizing the 20/20/20 rule. The rule is, every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds, this will help keep your eyes from straining. 

Another way to help protect your eyes from necessary exposure is to wear glasses that have special lenses that help block the harmful light from coming through. We can add this feature to any prescription glasses, and we can offer you just strictly blue light blocking glasses if you do not need a prescription and just want to protect your eyes.