Blue Rays, which are emitted by our electronic screens. It damages your eyes, makes you wear spectacles, we have to protect our eyes from it, you all have heard this kind of thing.
Here is a glance at the blue light - what it is, how it affects or helps - your health, and do we need prevention from it.
What is Blue Light?
The world is governed by electromagnetic waves. Most of the waves are invisible to us but an exception of an electromagnetic wavelength range of 380 nanometres (Violet Light) to 700 nanometres (Red Light) is visible to human eyes, this wavelength spectrum is called the visible spectrum.
This visible spectrum consists of -
- Violet
- Indigo
- Blue
- Green
- Yellow
- Orange
- Red
Each colour in the spectrum has different wavelengths. Shorter is the higher energy waves it produces. Blue has a very short wavelength; it is just slightly longer than U. V. Rays.
Sources of Blue Light
A large amount of blue light is emitted by the sun, fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs.
Nowadays humans are more exposed to blue light than ever because of the increase in exposure to devices that use light-emitting diode (LED) technology.
Computers, Cell Phones, Laptops, Flat- screens, Televisions, and Tablets all use LED technologies which produce a high amount of blue light exposure.
Effects of Blue Light on Eye Health
Our eyes are equipped with structures like corneas and crystalline lenses which protect the light-sensitive retina from getting damaged by U. V. Light, but those structures are unable to shield you from Blue Rays.
Long-term exposure to blue light may damage your retina and can cause a condition called phototoxicity.
The amount of damage depends upon the wavelength and exposure time. Some of the risks induced are -
Sleep
Blue light helps in maintaining your sleep-wake cycle. Light sensors in the eyes perceive blue light as daylight and inhibit the release of the melatonin hormone.
Melatonin is a sleep hormone that your brain produces in response to your darkness. It helps with the timing of your circadian rhythms (24-hour internal clock) and with sleep.
Exposure to blue light inhibits its production, causing sleep disturbances in the person.
Macular Degeneration
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) is one of the causal factors of visual loss in people 50 years and above.
Blue light may speed up degenerative changes and lead to blindness of the individual.
Digital Eye Strain
Using digital devices for a long period of time causes eye strain to the person. When using digital screens for a longer period of time you might notice symptoms such as -
- Dry eyes
- Sore or Irritated eyes
- Tired eyes
- Headaches
Do we need Blue Light?
Just like a coin, apart from harm, there are health benefits of exposure to blue light.
- It helps you to stay alert and helps in memory and cognitive function.
- It regulates the body's sleep and awake cycle
- The lack of exposure to blue light could affect the growth and development of children's eyes
Prevention
- Limiting blue light exposure: by using the 20/20 rule - when using a digital screen for a longer time, use this rule - according to this rule, look 20 feet away, every 20 minutes, for 20 seconds, it relaxes the eye strain.
- Filters: screen filters are available in the market which decreases the amount of blue light exposure from digital screens.
- Anti-reflective lenses: it reduces glares and eye strains and also increase contrast.
Blue light is the natural light that is emitted by the sun, but researchers are now more concerned about the harmful effects of artificial blue light.
Counsel from eye care professionals about your eyes from blue light protection.