Blue Light and Your Eyes (2024)

FAQs

How does blue light affect the eyes? ›

This high energy blue light passes through the cornea and lens to the retina causing diseases such as dry eye, cataract, age-related macular degeneration, even stimulating the brain, inhibiting melatonin secretion, and enhancing adrenocortical hormone production, which will destroy the hormonal balance and directly ...

Blue light probably has stronger effects on the circadian rhythm system, the “body's clock.” However, blue light is also more toxic to the retina. At this time, we recommend broad spectrum white light as the best balance of risk and benefit.

Exposure to all colors of light helps control your natural sleep-and-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm. More so than any other color, blue light messes with your body's ability to prepare for sleep because it blocks a hormone called melatonin that makes you sleepy.

Though blue light glasses aren't effective at preventing digital eye strain, there is no harm in wearing them. “It is not harmful to wear them all day,” says Dr. Bajic.

Can Sunglasses Block Blue Light? Almost all sunglasses protect your eyes by filtering out UV radiation, reducing glare, and blocking blue light when outdoors. However, not all sunglasses effectively reduce blue light from digital screens. The amount of UV filtration depends on the lens tint.

Like sunglasses, blue light glasses can have long-term eye health benefits. But should you wear them all the time? You can wear your blue light glasses all the time, just like you can wear sunglasses all the time. But when and where you wear your eyewear can make a difference in the quality of your vision.

In addition to sleep issues, blue light can also cause skin cell damage. There isn't an exact amount of blue light that is known to cause skin cell damage. However, research does show that being exposed to 12 hours a day of blue light is likely to accelerate aging, possibly even with skin cell damage.

Blue light therapy is not suitable for people with porphyria, a rare blood disorder that causes increased sensitivity to light. Similarly, individuals should not undergo this treatment if they have lupus or an allergy to porphyrins.

Also, wear eye protection, such as sunglasses or goggles, and carefully follow instructions to confirm you're using the device correctly. It's rare to experience side effects from LED light therapy.

The largest source of blue light is sunlight, but is also emitted by laptops and computer monitors, smartphones, tablets, TV, fluorescent and CFL bulbs.

Why is blue light bad at night? ›

Light from electronic screens comes in all colors, but the blues are the worst. Blue light fools the brain into thinking it's daytime. When that happens, the body stops releasing a sleep hormone called melatonin. Melatonin is nature's way of helping us wind down and prepare for bed.

LED lights are more efficient than fluorescent lights, but they also produce a fair amount of light in the blue spectrum. Richard Hansler, a light researcher at John Carroll University in Cleveland, notes that ordinary incandescent lights also produce some blue light, although less than most fluorescent lightbulbs.

The Short Answer. The short answer to whether blue light glasses work is – maybe, if you get a good pair. If you're simply looking to block blue light and don't suffer from migraine attacks or hyper light sensitivity, then a good quality pair of blue light glasses may be of some help.

Constant exposure to blue light over time could damage retinal cells and cause vision problems such as age-related macular degeneration. It can also contribute to cataracts, eye cancer and growths on the clear covering over the white part of the eye.

The analysis of the trials showed that there is no short-term advantage to using blue-light-filtering spectacles for reducing vision fatigue, compared with standard clear lenses. Only one of the studies examined the impact of blue-light-filtering glasses on eyesight, and it suggested that there was little to no effect.

While a blue light filter can help alleviate some of the negative effects associated with prolonged screen use, it cannot eliminate them entirely. Other factors like screen brightness, viewing distance, and duration of use also contribute to eye strain and fatigue.

Answer: Blue and especially blue-violet light has very high energy due to the short wavelength and thus the potential to cause eye damage. This is especially true for the retina where the light is bundled and interacts.

PDT, however, may induce early and late onset side effects. Erythema, pain, burns, edema, itching, desquamation, and pustular formation, often in association with each other, are frequently observed in course of exposure to the light source and in the hours/days immediately after the therapy.

Blue light tricks your skin into thinking that it's still daytime impairing the natural night-time repair process. Screen time also tends to steal moisture from the skin, which causes the breakdown of collagen. The dark pigmentation under your eyes can make you look exhausted, or suffering from lack of sleep.