You might have read an article or blog about the harms of blue light and you probably have read it on your smartphone, tablet or laptop. Blue light is the colour of technology which means that all of our digital devices have it. 

Although you cherish screen time as it keeps you entertained, your eyes don’t like it. With the growing involvement of technology in our day-to-day lives, it has become even more important to shed some light on the many problems that blue light causes for your eyes. 

If you recklessly indulge in screen time, just know that it’s messing with your ocular health and sleep. Still don’t believe us? Let’s talk about some facts.

What is blue light?

It was only the sun that was filling our eyes with blue light until the technology decided otherwise. The sunlight is made up of so many visible lights and blue light is one of them. 

Blue light is one of the many lights that our eyes can see. Different lights have different wavelengths and energy levels. Blue light has short wavelengths and high energy. Sun is the major source of natural blue light but your digital devices, TV and LEDs in your homes and offices have it too. They emit artificial blue light that is not at all good for your eyes. 

There are glasses available online that claim to filter blue light. You can get these online glasses to try on at your home and then make a decision. 

How does blue light affect your eyes?

Since blue waves are short and intense, it gets scattered easily (there’s a reason why the sky appears blue) and reduces the contrast of the screen. This implies that our eyes have to put in extra efforts to see the texts on the screens and this intense focusing wears them out after a while. 

This is why you feel uncomfortable ocular and physical symptoms such as eye strain, eye pain, blurry vision and headaches after spending a long day hooked to your screen. Although these symptoms disappear on their own, you should see an optometrist in case they persist or turn severe. You may as well use the NHS voucher and get a free eye test to know the actual cause of the problem.

You also blink far less when you are looking at a screen which may also lead to the problem of dry eyes. If you think that blue light only causes dry eyes, let us prove you wrong. Long-term exposure to blue light can damage the light-sensitive cells on your retina and hamper your vision. 

Not only this, but it can also trigger some serious eye conditions including macular degeneration and cataracts. This is why you must be mindful of your screen time if you really care about your eye health.

How does blue light affect your sleep?

Our body is designed to follow the sun. We wake up when it rises and feel sleepy when it sets.  Ever wonder why this happens? Simple, blue light. It suppresses the release of melatonin hormone which make us feel sleepy.

Although blue light from the sun is good to enhance our mood patterns and boost awareness, using digital devices and night and exposing your eye to the blue light can mess with your sleep/wake cycle. 

You can find the cheapest glasses online that block blue waves and protect your eyes. If you are wondering whether these glasses will help, proceed further. 

How do blue light glasses help?

As the name suggests, blue light glasses are specifically made for this light. Loaded with advanced filters, these glasses are capable of blocking the blue waves and reducing the symptoms of digital eye strain (remember the uncomfortable symptoms we talked about before).

Depending on the quality, these glasses may even cut down 100% blue light and make screen time comfortable for your eyes. You can even wear them before going to bed so that your screen doesn’t get in the way of your sleep. These glasses either come with faintly tinted or clear lenses. You may even add an anti-glare coating to make them fit for driving as well. If you are still wondering, “do blue light glasses work” buy a pair and find for yourself. 

The final word

We know we just can’t give up on technology. But if you want to cherish your ocular health for days to come, you should be careful of your screen time. Wear blue light glasses and limit your digital consumption to avoid the negative effects of blue light. 

Make sure you take regular screen breaks and practice healthy screen habits. While we can’t avoid blue light, we can definitely take steps to diminish its effects on your eyes.

Author Bio: I’m Jaylin: Guest post service planner of Leelija and full time blogger. Favourite things include my camera, traveling,caring my fitness, food and my fashion. Email id: editor@leelija.com