Blue Light – What you need to know
Without the general population realizing it, the amount of time spent in front of screens has reached new record highs. This can have both positive and negative effects on your eyes. To begin to understand blue light we first must understand the difference in wave spectrum. The longer slower moving waves are radio waves, infrared, microwaves, and ultraviolet. Slower and quicker electromagnetic waves fall in the x-ray and gamma ray categories.
The majority of electromagnetic waves are not visible to the human eye. Human eyes operate in pick up wavelengths between 380 nanometers ( violet ) and 700 nanometers ( red ). Typically, the longer the wavelength, the less amount of energy is transmitted. Blue light is a high energy and short wave. Blue light is only slightly less energetic than UV rays which can damage your skin and eyes.
Laptops, flat screen tv’s, cell phones, and tablets have completely consumed our day to day lives. We are all under constant bombardment of blue from the sun, to lightbulbs, it’s easy to completely miss this aspect of our world when it comes to our health. The eye is one of the most complex organs of the human body. The cornea and lens serve to protect the light sensitive retina from damaging UV rays. Some studies have suggested that 32% of the general population uses devices that emit blue light 9 to 11 hours per day. Also another 15% used the same devices 12 – 14 hours per day.
These long durations of screen time can have a negative impact on your eyes. Symptoms such as dry eyes, headaches, neck pain, squinting, and fatigue are common when using screens for prolonged periods of time. For some people it’s their job to sit in front of a screen for 40+ hours a week, this can become a burden. Now the jury is still out on the long term effects of blue light.
There are steps you can take to assist in the reduction of blue light exposure to your eyes. Take for instance Mountain Eye Care blue light reduction lenses. Blue light reduction filters in glasses help alleviate eye strain. These styles of glasses have become more popular in the gaming industry. With the addition of the gaming professional scene in recent years. We are seeing an influx in blue light reduction lenses.
With the vast selection in frames Mountain Eye care can guide you to the perfect frame that fits your personality. Located in beautiful Hamilton, ON schedule your appointment today. Allow their professional staff to help guide you to the perfect pair of glasses.
