What You Don’t Know About Blue Light Could Harm Your Vision
Blue light is all around you, but that’s a normal. You encounter blue light every time you walk outside during the day, and every time you are in the proximity of a computer, television, smartphone or tablet. Encountering blue light is an everyday aspect of contemporary life, but it’s important to note that it can be hazardous to your health.
Many eye doctors and researchers are concerned about the amount of blue light our eyes are being exposed to on a daily basis. Between what we encounter naturally, and the amount we’re exposed to from the computer devices we use, we may be getting enough to cause macular degeneration and other vision problems.
What Blue Light Is and Where It Comes From
Blue light is emitted by the sun; it’s a part of the spectrum of natural visible light. Blue light is made up of shorter, more energetic, wavelengths of light. Including light that appears to the eye as violet or purple, blue light makes up one end of the spectrum of visible light. Blue light is also a emitted by nearly every screen that we use for work and for pleasure.
Our smartphones, our televisions, and our computers all use primarily blue light to project the images we see. This is what is of concern to health professionals and researchers. Our eyes are capable of handling the amount of natural blue light they encounter. Researchers and vision professionals don’t yet understand how the prolonged exposure to increased levels of blue light will harm us, but they know that it can.
How Blue Light Can Harm You
Your eye possesses no natural defense against blue light. Because of this, blue light can penetrate all the way into the retina of your eye. Research is still being conducted to determine how much blue light is too much. But it has been shown that prolonged exposure to excess blue light can damage the light-sensitive cells in the retina, leading to macular degeneration.
Blue light can also contribute to eye-strain. Blue light, because of its shorter wavelength, scatters easily, and forces the eye to work harder. That’s one contributing factor to the eye fatigue one experiences when using smartphones, computers, and television for long periods of time.
Protecting Your Eyes From Blue Light
If you are prone to long bouts of smartphone or tablet usage, consider installing a blue light filter over the screen of your device. This will limit the amount of blue light you are exposing your eyes to. Similarly, if you use a computer for hours a day at work or you’re prone to long periods of television viewing, then it may be wise to consider purchasing protective eyewear.
Living With Contemporary Levels of Blue Light Exposure
Blue light can be hazardous, especially when your eyes are exposed to large amounts of it over prolonged periods. And, while most of the blue light we are exposed to is completely natural, some of the blue light that our modern lifestyle brings our eyes into contact with could be generating both immediate and long-term negative health effects.
Protect your vision, and if you have questions about blue light and your eyes, then be sure to consult with an eye care professional or your doctor. Beaumont Vision is here to help answer all of your questions, so get in touch and book an appointment today.