While looking for the latest eyewear trends for the year 2020 and 2021, I could clearly witness a quick upsurge in the popularity of blue light glasses, especially during the lockdown. While it’s in trend, a lot of us still don’t know what they are and how they affect our lifestyle. If you find yourself in the same position where I was before I discovered about anti-blue light glasses and bought my first pair, just read on!
What is blue light?
Most of us have already read about this in our science classes. For a quick recap, here:
- Sunlight is a spectrum of seven lights of different colours – Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red.
- Violet and indigo are invisible to human eyes, hence go to the invisible spectrum while the other five colours including blue light make the visible spectrum.
- Now, moving from red to violet light, wavelengths for each of them decreases while their energy increases.
- This way blue light rays become the light with the highest moving energy in the spectrum visible to human eyes.
Does blue light really cause damage to us?
There is not just one, but multiple reasons why doctors recommend adding a blue light coating on our glasses. Studies reveal that the high moving energy of blue rays causes chronic damage to different eye parts and results in the most prevalent eye disorders and defects:
- Cataracts: The human eye lens has the tendency to absorb short blue waves reaching it. It does so to block the rays from reaching the light-sensitive retina. However, in this attempt to prevent blue light damage on the retinal screen, it produces substances that get added to the lens cells and end up turning the lens tissue opaque.
- Macular Degeneration: Macula is a spot on the centre of the retinal screens that stores antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin that are able to absorb blue light, again, to prevent it from reaching the retina. Gradually, the macula loses its efficiency and results in Macular Degeneration. MD is the leading cause of age-related blindness in the UK.
- Dry Eye Syndrome: This is another prevalent eye disorder in the UK that is a result of high intensity blue light exposure. Blue light tends to make our eyes dry, resulting in DES. The symptoms include painful, red, dry, sore, irritated and itchy eyes with other health issues like neck, forehead and back pain.
Blue light blocking glasses
Anti-blue light glasses, also called reading glasses or sometimes gaming glasses, are the latest technology in the eyewear industry that are able to block blue rays from passing through them by reflecting back any blue rays that fall on them. These lenses can also sharpen the vision and improve contrast as they block the glare reaching our eyes from tech screens like laptop, computer, smartphone, tablet, television and some LED bulbs. Furthermore, they reduce the eye strain caused by extended exposure to blue light.
Where to get blue light glasses from?
You can ask your optician to add an anti-blue light coating on your prescription glasses or varifocals. But, if you don’t wear prescription glasses, you can get a pair of zero power lenses with the coating added on them. If you are looking for some good quality blue light glasses at affordable prices in the UK, you can check Specscart’s website for they retail premium quality cheap glasses and also offer a gorgeous collection of styles for men’s and women’s glasses.
Other ways to prevent blue light damage
- Limit your usage of tech screens by looking for alternatives. To start off, you can try switching Kindle with paperbacks and get a subscription for newspapers rather than reading online news.
- Keep your eyes hydrated with artificial tears. You can put in one or two drops whenever your eyes feel dry or twice a day.
- Blinking as often as possible can also lubricate your eyes by evenly distributing the teardrops inside your eye.
- Adjust the brightness of your screen. Make sure that it is not too bright or too dim according to your room.
- Eat good foods rich in nutrients and antioxidants for your eyes like carrots, oranges, blueberries, bell peppers, etc.