We live in a digital world, and it’s almost impossible to be more than a few feet away from a screen at all times. However, these devices aren’t just responsible for digital eye strain—the light emitted by digital devices, screens, and more can have long-term effects throughout your life.
This is where blue filter glasses become ideal. This is a type of specialty eyewear designed to filter out harmful light rays to protect your eyes against blue light. However, make sure that you buy your blue filter glasses ( NOT blue light glasses) from a reputable professional like your optometrist or ophthalmologist. They use FDA and OSHA regulated labs that are held to a much higher standard than an online lab from out of state or out of the country where there is no regulation.
What is Blue Light?
Blue light is a part of the visible light spectrum. It has a short wavelength but high energy, making it a potent form of visible light.
For most of our history, we were only exposed to blue light through the sun. We’ve evolved alongside it, and our bodies associate blue light exposure with the need to stay awake. When our eyes meet blue light, our bodies suppress melatonin—the chemical that helps you fall and stay asleep. As blue light fades during twilight hours, we begin producing melatonin again to get ready to sleep.
However, blue light has recently become more of a problem. This particular wavelength is also emitted by modern screens, LED lights, digital devices, and almost every electronic display. We’re more exposed to blue light than ever, which can have a significant effect on our sleep cycle.
Is Blue Light Harmful?
By itself, blue light is not inherently harmful. But that doesn’t mean it has no effect—it can disrupt all kinds of internal bodily processes if you’re constantly dealing with blue light exposure. Some researcher claim it has the potential to be harmful to the retina and natural lens; however, this has yet to be proven 100%.
One of the key ways your body reacts to blue light is through suppressing melatonin. Excessive blue light exposure, especially in the evening, can start disrupting your natural sleep cycle. Your circadian rhythm—your internal clock of sorts—gets thrown off, which can lead to severe problems.
Your circadian rhythm controls:
- Sleep and wake cycles
- Hormone production
- Body temperature regulation
- Digestion and metabolism
When this is altered, you’ll quickly deal with all kinds of issues.
How Blue Light Affects Sleep
If you fall into the pattern of using screens and digital devices later in the day, you may be changing your circadian rhythm more than you’d expect. This can eventually lead to sleep deprivation, which can cause:
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Poor quality sleep
- Feeling tired throughout the day
- Difficulty concentrating
- Mood changes and irritability
- Increased stress levels
- Weakened immune system
Sleep deprivation can significantly damage your overall health and quality of life. Fortunately, the answer may be simpler than you think: blue light glasses.
What are Blue “Filter” Glasses?
Imagine a type of specialty eyewear designed specifically to protect you against blue light—without significantly changing how you see the world. You can continue using screens or working near LED lights but without the negative effects of blue light exposure.
This answer exists in the form of a pair of blue “filter” glasses. There is no such thing as “Blue Light” glasses. That is a big misunderstanding and coined by an online retailer to generate sales during Covid times. Custom Blue “Filter” lenses equipped specific wavelength filters or block most of the blue light emitted from your screens and a portion of the harmful Ultraviolet wavelength. . With a pair of blue filter glasses, you can keep yourself protected from this wavelength.
To do this, blue filter lenses are manufactured with a special additive in the lens material and as it cures and set it is often a slight yellow or amber-colored—to stop the light from passing through your lenses while allowing the rest of the visible spectrum through. There are only a few manufacturers (Crizal, Kodak, Shamir, VSP, Zeiss ) that are able to produce FDA and OSHA approved filtering lenses. . They they all have a similar goal: to make screen usage more comfortable when you’re exposed to more blue light than normal. If you are not purchasing from a verifiable source that is a distributor of these major manufacturers and can verify your lenses after being received form the lab, then you may not be receiving a quality lens.
Do Blue Light Glasses Work?
Whether you’re working long hours, spending time near LED screens, or settling in for a late-night television marathon, blue light glasses may just be a convenient solution for you. However, there’s a catch; not all pairs are the same. Many lower-quality or cheaper pairs of blue light glasses often just have a blue coating on the surface of the lens; the glass itself doesn’t have any special features. This is often the case with pairs ordered through discount online retailers or Costco.
Whenever you buy specialty eyewear, make sure that you’re consulting your doctor. They can verify the quality of your blue filter glasses to make sure you’re getting a pair that actually protects your eyes. A professional eye here can be crucial to making sure you’re actually reaping the benefits of blue light glasses rather than spending money on a low-quality product.
Testing Blue Light Glasses
The only accurate way to verify if your glasses are actually filtering the correct wavelength of color and ultraviolet light is to visit your optometrist. They have the specialized equipment to test the spectrum of light and filtering capability of the lens. .
It is a myth to just look through the lenses at a computer and tell. Any tinted lens can reduce some glare and inferior anti reflective coatings often get oily and fingerprint easily. This actually causes more visual problems. Online retailers all use the cheapest and oldest coatings due to costs concerns. In this industry you want more technology in your lenses and there is saying, “ you get what you pay for.”
This is why purchasing glasses from a trusted source is key; it helps you make the right decision to keep your eyes protected. You cannot buy a blue light flashlight to test your lenses. Your doctor’s office is licensed to provide these filtering lenses. They have been trained to fit, measure, and verify with their special equipment.
Contact Us to Learn More About Blue Light Glasses
In today’s modern world, it’s almost impossible to stay away from screens. But with a pair of blue “Filter” glasses, you can keep spending time on the activities you enjoy without the negative effects of blue light. So come talk to our team at Danville Optometric Group! We can help you find the right glasses for you, so schedule an appointment with us today.
