What is blue light and why should I be concerned?

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Definition of blue light:

Blue Light is the term used to describe the highest energy range within the Visible Light Spectrum. This light is emitted by a variety of sources from the sun to your smartphone. the blue spectrum — the 415 to 445 nanometer range Because it is so bright, blue light is used widely in pretty much all LED devices, including phones, tablets, laptops, and TVs. And because it is so hot, it appears to be wreaking all sorts of havoc on our eyes, on melatonin, and consequently, on our health.

With most people spending more than half their waking hours exposed to blue light emitted by smartphones, tablets, computer monitors, TVs, and energy efficient lighting, protection has never been more important.

Dangers of too much blue light:
Recent research has indicated blue light exposure can contribute to serious eye and health conditions, including:

• Eye strain and fatigue
• Vision loss
• Sleep disruption

You put suntan lotion on your skin when you go out in the sun for the day, right? Well if you believe that suntan lotion protects your skin from harmful UV, you should be putting on blue light-blocking eyeglass lenses when at the computer and other electronic devices. 

Who needs blue light protection?

Here are the people who can benefit most from Blue Light protection lenses:

1. Children who spend time on electronic devices such as iPads / iPhones
2. Computer software engineers
3. Web designers
4. Call center staff
5. Accountants
6. Sales reps
7. Patients who have undergone cataract surgery – without their old, yellow ocular lens, their retinas are especially susceptible to blue light
8. Those spending time on the computer for greater than 4 hours / day
9. Those having trouble with nighttime glare
10. College students
11. Patients that have a family history in, or are predisposed to retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration

Blue Light Prevention Lenses

Our office carry the following lenses:

Recharge EX3 - Hoya
Provencia - Essilor
TechShield Blue - Unity
Duravision Blue Protect - Zeiss

For more information on Blue Light go to "Blue Light Exposed"
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