How Can Blue Light Blocking Glasses Help Your Eyes?

For most of us, having beautiful and healthy eyes takes a little bit of time and effort. We all know that getting enough sleep, having UV protection outdoors and using high-quality makeup are necessary basics for good eye health. But there is another less understood factor that can also cause damage to your eye’s health and beauty – and that is exposure to blue light. 

Have you heard about the effects of blue light lately? With increased screen time due to the digital age we now live in, it is finally getting the attention it deserves. If you’ve noticed that your eyes are getting tired and strained after one-too-many zoom calls or spending your workday in front of your computer or on your phone, blue light exposure may be part of the problem. 

Fortunately, there is a simple and effective way to protect your eyes from blue light, but understanding blue light and how it damages our eyes is an essential first step. So, what is blue light, and how can we protect our eyes? Good question! here’s all you need to know.  

What is blue light? 

Light from the sun comes in different sizes (waves) and colours. A full spectrum of colour only becomes visible when the light is bent slightly, like when water is in the air, and a rainbow appears. The water changes the direction of the rays, and they separate and become visible to our eyes. 

On one end, you can see violet, indigo, blue, then green, yellow, orange and red. This is not a random order! The violet-to-blue range travels in shorter wavelengths than the other colours, which means it carries more energy and can impact us far easier than other wavelengths of light. 

How does it affect our eyes?

Spending all day on screens can result in tired eyes and headaches – something we’re all too familiar with. This is because these shorter waves of light can penetrate the eyes and cause eye strain, as well as possibly lead to cataracts and macular degeneration. We have long known that we need to protect our eyes outdoors from the sun, though when inside, we generally feel that our eyes are safe. Research shows that artificial light, like that coming from your devices and fluorescent bulbs, is mainly in the form of short-wave blue light, just like the sun.  

With many of us spending more time on screens than ever before, it’s vital to protect our eyes from the harmful effects of blue light – and that’s just one of the reasons why you should consider blue light-blocking glasses. 

What other health issues are associated with blue light exposure?

Not only can shorter waves cause short and long-term issues, but they can also result in fine lines, pigmentation changes, age spots and much more. Ultraviolet light directly damages the DNA in our skin, and blue light has been shown to damage collagen leading to wrinkles and age spots. 

Other health issues have been linked to blue light exposure. For example, it can mess up your sleep cycle by changing the level of hormones in your brain! One powerful hormone that it suppresses is the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.  

During the day, blue light exposure can increase alertness and attention. But at night, it makes the brain think it’s still daytime, so your brain does not produce as much melatonin. This results in a poorer quality of sleep. As you can imagine, this affects your health and well-being pretty quickly. Even one night of poor sleep can result in a pretty mediocre day! 

Blue light also changes another important hormone, cortisol. This hormone wakes you up and gets you out of bed in the morning. It’s our body’s version of a cup of coffee that helps you feel alert and ready to face the day. Night time exposure to blue light will cause the body to release cortisol at night instead of in the morning. That’s like drinking your morning cup of coffee at night and then expecting to sleep well. 

Reduce blue light exposure with Blue Light Glasses

Fortunately, there is an easy solution to maintaining healthy and beautiful eyes and avoiding overexposure to blue light. No, you don’t have to wear your sunglasses in the house! Instead, wear blue light-blocking glasses that filter out the vast majority of short-wave, blue light. Using blue light filtering glasses when you are sitting down to work or to play on any device, especially at night, will go a long way towards minimising your daily dose of blue light. 

More research is emerging that details the dangers of blue light exposure to our eyes. We know that devices emit a higher percent of blue light and that the problems are multiplied with night time exposure. Blue Light Glasses are a solution that not only protects your eyes, but also helps you get a good night’s sleep at the same time.

Need your vision corrected? If you wear daily disposable contact lenses, you can pop blue light-blocking glasses on while wearing your lenses.