But to what extent?Īn array of Eyewear and screen-protector companies are now selling products they claim can protect people from such harm. However, the study of damage from blue light coming from electronic devices used during the day has yet to yield conclusive results.įair enough, light can cause damage under certain conditions, and certain studies indicate that the most harmful part of the visible spectrum is blue light, which electronic devices emit to stay visible under bright conditions. Many of us spend our days staring at bright screens, including the young generation, in spite of our better judgement. Simple, just wear good quality sunglasses right? Not quite, what about using electronic devices during the day? Electronic devices automatically adapt to bright light by becoming even brighter, which is what most companies are using as a selling point for blue-blockers. Even on cloudy days, up to 80% of the sun's UV rays make it through the clouds. However, the amount of blue light you’re exposed to depends on where you’re located in the world, time of day and season. Tests have established that in certain wavelengths, blue light is a known culprit in the development of age-related macular degeneration or AMD. Its cumulative effect can cause damage to the retina. The average proportion of blue light that's found in sunlight during the day is between 25% to 30%. As part of the visible light spectrum, blue light is the high-energy light just beyond the potentially harmful ultraviolet light. What is Blue light? Is it harmful? Where does it come from?īlue light is part of the visible light spectrum and reaches deeper into the eye than any other light in the spectrum. That being said, let’s explore blue light further. As well as, anti-glare screens, good lighting, seating position and more. The AOA suggests you rest your eyes for 15 minutes after two hours of continuous computer use.

So it needs to be said early on in this article that the best advice you can provide clients/patients/friends (before suggesting blue light blocking glasses) is to give the eyes periodic rest breaks during the day. It’s arguably not only blue light that’s adversely affecting our eyes but the fact that we’re staring at computer screens for the better part of the day, without breaks.

Imagine spending time under a bright sun without sunglasses for the duration of a work-day. The most common symptoms associated with Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) or Digital Eye Strain are “We keep on thinking about blue lights from our computers and smartphones, but the reality is we get more exposure from blue light from the sunlight.” We associate blue light digital equipment, but according to Rahul Khurana, an ophthalmologist and clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the negative effects of blue light and eye strain on your eyes are two separate issues. And the major selling point for blue blockers is that they block blue light from electronic devices, also during the day. Not taking anything away from Harvard, but there have been no further studies of consequence since. We know that blue light can interfere with your sleeping patterns, considering the Harvard study Blue light has a dark side is anything to go by. We can see straight through articles with affiliate posts with obvious links to Amazon accounts, but there are also some truly compelling articles to draw from here. There are numerous articles online (and published) citing both successful and not so successful tales of blue blockers. Two years on and the general public is still increasingly concerned that exposure to bright light, particularly blue light, is causing harm to both their eyesight and general health.

We look at the most recent studies and weigh up all the facts to see if your blue light blocking glasses are doing what they claim in the sales pitch. In this article, we weigh up the good and the bad, look at what blue light really is and if it’s a good market for eyewear retail. So, let’s reflect on how far the tech has progressed and what the market is doing. It’s been two years since the Blue Light Hype hit the eyewear market.

Beyond blue uv blocker