15 Question Answered about Blue Light Glasses

Are your eyes getting often irritated or red? Maybe it’s your screen.

Lockdown wasn’t great for us, we’ve all gone through unfamiliar changes. Specifically, our eyes — as we’ve spent an intense amount of time in front of screens. From multiple work meetings, online classes, Netflix binge-watch and talking to our loved ones over a video call, our life completely shifted to digital devices.

In all of this, our eyes experienced a lot of issues caused by prolonged hours of screen use. You must be familiar with the term “blue light glasses” mentioned as an effective solution against the harmful effects of the screen.

In the recent Unilever report, it’s claimed that more than 65% of people are aware of the impacts of blue light. People have various questions and queries about this new form of eye threat.

After all, what is blue light? And why do we require blue light glasses?

Don’t worry, we are here to answer all of your blue light related issues. We’ve put together an assortment of 15 most insightful questions that’ll help you understand blue light rays a lot better.

Ready? Here we go…

1. What is a blue light?

Blue light is a short wavelength and higher energy than other colours. It’s one of the colours in the visible light spectrum that’s seen by the human eye.

2. Why is blue light considered bad?

Blue light exposure during the daytime helps to boost attention, mood and reaction times. But prolonged hours of blue light exposure causes eye-strain, dry-eyes, itchiness, blurry vision and other discomforting eye conditions. If blue light exposure happens late at night, then it will disturb your healthy circadian rhythm.

3. What are the sources of blue light?

Sun is the biggest source of blue light rays. Other sources include digital devices (smartphone, laptop, tablets, computer, television, etc.), LED lights and electronic devices. Since digital screens at close proximity to our eyes, their effects are significantly greater on our eyes than the rest.

4. What is a blue light filter?

Blue light filters are advanced coating glazed over lenses of non-prescription and prescription glasses. These filters help to eliminate several eye conditions and discomfort caused by excessive screen time. Also, the blue light filter ensures a healthy sleep cycle even if you continue to use a screen at night, by protecting our eyes from blue light absorption. Blue light filters are present on multiple items such as protective glasses, and even on smartphones and computers for the eyes.

5. What are blue light glasses?

Blue light glasses contain blue light filters that block or reflect incoming blue light rays from entering our eyes. These glasses are suitable for everyone and come in both prescription and non-prescription lenses. Blue light glasses are significantly helpful against the harmful effects of blue light rays on our eyes. You won’t develop any severe eye problems or discomfort while using screens even at late night, morning or for extended hours.

6. How does blue light affect our sleep?

If you use your smartphone at night, then the blue light rays get continuously absorbed in your body. Resulting in the suppression of sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin that’s responsible for our sleep/awaken cycle. Blue light rays exposure convinces our brain to think it’s daylight and thereby, making us feel alert, active and awake late at night.

7. How can we protect our eyes from blue light?

We all happen to share one common, but a detrimental habit of using our smartphones for hours. So protecting our eyes from its source is to limit their use. Don’t use your smartphone for unhealthy hours as it puts a lot of pressure on the visual system and causes visual stress. It often results in eye-strain, headache and other eye problems. Use blue light glasses to lower eye condition, visual stress, and continue to stare at screens without any discomfort. Aside from this, you can also follow the 20–20–20 rule to maintain a healthy visual system.

8. What are the simple ways to limit blue light rays exposure?

Similar to the mentioned ways above, you can use several things to limit the exposure of blue light rays. You can use blue light filtering glasses, screen protectors, reduce brightness on the screen and lower the use of LED lights.

9. Is blue light bad for skin?

Yes! Prolonged hours of blue light emission can be harmful to your skin. It can damage your skin colour, texture and cause inflammation. It’s because blue light rays cause chemical changes in our skin, that results in premature-ageing.

10. What is the wavelength of blue light?

Blue light wavelength is 380–500 nm out of the light spectrum. The spectrum includes colours, such as violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. Not all blue light rays are bad, but if we continue to use them for extended hours every single day, the effects can be harmful than the rest.

11. Can blue light make you blind?

There’s no strong evidence that’s directly linked to blue light causing sight loss. But, according to a new study, blue light rays result in macular degeneration, which is one of the leading causes of blindness. The researchers prove that blue light rays damage the eye’s retina by continuous penetration into the eyes.

12. Should you wear blue light glasses all day?

Yes, you can comfortably wear blue light glasses, and it won’t result in any negative effect on you or your eyes. In fact, blue light glasses are actually quite effective and helpful in protecting your eyes if you wear it at all times. Whenever you’ll be using any form of digital device, your eyes would be protected from harmful blue light exposure.

13. Are gaming glasses the same as blue light glasses?

Yes, gaming glasses are the same as blue light glasses. Both of these glasses protect your eyes from excessive screen use and harm against blue light rays.

14. Is blue light bad for kids?

While blue light rays are significantly harmful to the adult eyes, the children are even more at the risk of blue light from digital screens. Kids often like to binge-watch cartoons and even study online now, which can increase their screen time to a harmful extent. So try to limit the use of their digital devices as much as possible.

15. Do you need to get blue light glasses if you have Transitions?

No! Blue light glasses won’t be necessary if you have transition glasses with you. It’s because Transitions already come with a blue light filter and would protect your eyes from blue light rays.