Is visible blue light affecting your eyesight?
Technology continues to play an increasingly significant role in how we go about our daily lives. The Association of Optometrists has recently given their conclusion on whether there is any evidence to suggest visible blue light has any effect on the development of eye conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or glaucoma.
Visible light is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be seen as a colour. Visible blue light has a very short wavelength, and so produces a higher amount of energy which is thought to be the cause of some eye related conditions. It is emitted from sources such as the sun but as technology has advanced it is now used in digital screens including TVs, computers, laptops, smart phones and tablets
Whilst there is evidence to suggest that extensive usage of digital devices can increase the strain on your eyes and lead to negative sleep patterns, there is currently no evidence to suggest that visible blue light can affect your eye health.
Extensive laboratory studies testing the effects of visible blue light have been conducted but as of yet there is no correlation to suggest visible blue light has had a negative impact. Therefore, no conclusion can be drawn as to the likely effect on humans of normal exposure to visible blue light.
Screen use and sleep patterns
There is however evidence, that clearly shows that using digital devices which emit visible blue light, may affect the circadian rhythm and cause sleep deprivation. This is due to visible blue light being linked to the suppression of melatonin, a hormone which makes us feel sleepy.
It is clear that excessive time spent using your near vision, for example reading or using your mobile device, can be associated to with eye strain and headaches.
Sometimes using technology can be unavoidable, but below are some tips to follow in order to prevent further damage to your eyesight.
1. Avoid using digital screens close to bedtime. Using them may contribute to poorer sleep and make you less effective during the day.
2. Turning off any digital devices up to an hour before sleeping can help aid sleep.
3. Use night settings, if your phone allows it. This can decrease the amount of visible blue light emitted during night time hours.
4. To avoid eye strain people should adopt the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes you should look away from your screen at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Commenting Lesley Cree said “We have started to see patients recently who are reporting problems such as eye strain, headaches and dry eyes, often as a result of using digital screens. This is increasing as screen size gets smaller, particularly nowadays with increasing usage of mobile phone screens. If you have any uncorrected refractive error then this can cause visual fatigue, so regular eye examinations are recommended.”
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