The Impact of Blue Light on Eye Health

This new habit can significantly affect your eye health and overall wellness. That’s due to one simple fact: screens are a major source of blue light.  

If you’ve heard a lot about blue light in relation to screen time, you may be wondering what exactly it is and what’s so bad about it. Understanding how it impacts eye health is crucial for maintaining good vision and overall well-being for longer—so keep reading to learn more about it and what you can do to prevent potential harm in a world where technology permeates all aspects of our lives.

Blue light is a type of high-energy visible light. It occurs between 380-500 nanometres, making it the shortest wavelength with the most energy. Blue light exposure can come from a couple of places. 

Naturally occurring blue light plays a crucial role in regulating your circadian rhythms. Sunrises and sunsets influence your sleep patterns, boosting alertness during the day. That’s why sunrise alarm clocks that slowly increase the light in your room can help you wake up in the morning, especially during the winter. The blue light that comes from the sun can also improve your overall wellness by boosting your memory, elevating your mood levels—and, according to a 2019 article from the Good News Network, even lowering your blood pressure.

Excessive exposure to blue light, especially from artificial sources like screens, can damage your retina, strain your eyes, and disrupt your sleep patterns. Let’s dive into some more in-depth explanations to understand why this happens.

Blue light exposure can lead to retinal oxidative stress by generating reactive oxygen species that damage retinal cells. This process triggers inflammation and compromises the delicate structures in the eye. Due to its short, high-energy wavelengths, blue light can penetrate deep into the eye—potentially causing damage to the retina over time. This prolonged oxidative stress can result in macular degeneration, a condition that can cause vision loss. 

Prolonged exposure to blue light from screens can lead to eye strain. This condition can get serious if it’s accompanied by other symptoms. Blurred vision, for example, may mean that you have astigmatism. If you have issues focusing on screens up close, you might have presbyopia or farsightedness. These issues can progress with the continued use of digital devices and exposure to blue light, resulting in more severe visual impairments. 

Artificial blue light can disrupt the body's circadian rhythm, confusing the brain about when to feel awake or sleepy. This disruption leads to difficulty falling asleep at bedtime due to blue light inhibiting the production of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin. Suppressed melatonin levels make it challenging for you to fall asleep naturally.

Reduce the time spent on digital devices to minimise exposure to blue light. You can follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. These regular breaks will allow your eyes to relax and refocus, reducing the risk of developing long-term vision problems associated with prolonged blue light exposure.

It’s also important to monitor the total amount of time you spend on devices every day. Outside of work and school, try to limit gadget use to around two hours. If you want to improve your sleep quality, you can maintain optimal melatonin levels by putting down your devices altogether at least 30 minutes before you go to bed. A ‘no gadgets in the bedroom’ rule can help you more easily establish this practice as a habit. 

You can also tweak the circumstances under which you use screens to limit blue light exposure. For example, don’t make your screen brighter than necessary. Enable night mode on your phone if it has that option. Use warm-toned lighting instead of bright white lights in your living space to help your body wind down before bed. You can also install apps or software that adjust screen colours, such as f.lux or Night Shift, to decrease blue light exposure in the evenings.

Consider using blue light filters on electronic devices like tablets and phones to reduce harmful blue light exposure at the source. These will place a colour overlay on your screen to make it warmer. You can try the blue light screen protectors from Ocushield for effective protection. They’re designed by optometrists and come in sizes that fit screens on everything from phones and tablets to laptops and computer monitors. 

You’ll undeniably have to use screens at some point, whether it be for work or school. To safeguard eye health during necessary device use, consider buying blue light glasses. Their lenses come with multilayer coatings that filter out blue light while reducing reflection and glare to prevent eye strain. Try glasses with BlueReflect™ or KODAK Blue lenses so you can get additional scratch-resistant, anti-static, and water-repellant properties that ensure they last for longer.

As mentioned above, blue light vibrates between 380-500 nanometres. Blue light glasses only filters out potentially harmful wavelengths between 400-455 nanometres. That means they still let in wavelengths from healthier ranges—and you can reap the benefits of blue light while avoiding pitfalls like eye strain and disrupted sleep patterns. 

Scientific research also supports the use of blue light glasses to mitigate the negative effects of blue light exposure on not just eye health but circadian rhythms. A study published in Chronobiology International finds that wearing blue light glasses can effectively induce sleep, even in people suffering from insomnia. 

Before investing in blue light glasses, it's essential to consider factors such as the amount of time spent in front of screens daily, existing eye conditions, and personal comfort preferences. Some people may experience immediate relief with these glasses, while others may not notice a significant difference. Understanding how these factors apply to your own living situation can help you decide if blue light glasses are worth the purchase. 

The growing reliance on digital devices has increased our exposure to blue light, leading to potential harm to our eyes and overall health. By prioritising eye health and incorporating strategies to reduce blue light exposure, you can mitigate any negative effects you may encounter.