Sore eyes. Headaches. Blurred vision. Poor sleep.
72.6% of Australians do not know that eyewear can help prevent all of these symptoms.
How Blue Light Filters Protect Your Eyes
Many people do not realise the importance of shielding your eyes against the effects of blue light. Certain parts of the blue light spectrum can be harmful to the human eye, being high energy and light penetrating. This can lead to eye strain, lowered visual performance, as well as itchiness and other eye irritation. There is also evidence that the light emitted from screens (computers, TVs and digital devices such as tablets and smart phones), especially the blue and ultraviolet (UV) parts of the spectrum and particularly when exposed at night, can significantly disrupt sleep patterns (1).
Prolonged or severe exposure to blue and UV light can even cause inflammation of the conjunctiva and cornea, which can be painful, or damage the crystalline lens in the eye and the retina. Damage to the crystalline lens manifests in many conditions, including cataracts, while retina damage is associated with macular degeneration (2).
Blue light is not only emitted by the electronic equipment and digital devices that we use every day, but also from light sources that we are constantly being exposed to. Technological improvements aimed at better performance and also energy efficiency have meant the development of LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and other new types of light bulbs and light sources, which emit a higher proportion of blue light (2).
Blue light filtered lenses are coated with a special protective material which reflects and reduces high energy blue light penetration, while allowing the non-harmful part of the blue light spectrum pass through (1). You will see some blue light reflected off the lens, showing the light which is being prevented from passing through the lens.
Filtering blue light protects your eyes from strain when you are working at the computer or using other digital devices by reducing screen brightness, flickering and eye fatigue. People who wear blue light filtered lenses report a significant reduction in eye dryness, sticky eyes, and the sensation of grittiness in the eye, as well as better vision when dealing with low contrast (1).
The different wavelengths of visible light are refracted differently by the eye. Therefore, blue light filtering lense can improve your vision by controling the wavelengths of light which are hitting your retina (2).
References:
(1) 'Useful tips to relieve eyestrain caused by digital devices', Blue Light Exposed, http://www.bluelightexposed.com/protect-our-vision/#useful-tips-to-relieve-digital-eyestrain-caused-by-digital-devices, accessed: 2.10.17
(2) 'Blue Light: the Good and the Bad', Zeiss.com, https://www.zeiss.com/vision-care/en_de/better-vision/understanding-vision/eye-and-vision/blue-light-the-good-and-the-bad.html, 2.10.17