These days everyone is connected to technology and their devices. With that, you may be wondering, is blue light bad for your eyes? You may have heard that blue light from your electronic devices can even increase your chances of macular degeneration and blindness, but is this true?
It’s a common question and a good one to have. The short answer is, no. The amount of blue light that’s emitted from a TV, LCD, tablet, or smartphone is not harmful to the retina or any other part of the eye generally speaking. However, it’s still good to dive deeper into what blue light is and why it’s not as bad as we may assume for our eyes.
What is blue light?
In technical terms, blue light is visible light with a wavelength between 400 and 450 nanometers (nm). One perceives this type of light as blue in colour. Keep in mind though that blue light may also be present when you’re seeing white or another colour.
One reason why blue light seems to be of the greatest concern is that it contains more energy per photon of light than other colours in the visible spectrum such as red or green light. Therefore, you may find that blue light can cause more damage to the eyes at high enough doses.
How do our eyes see colour?
Another important question to address is how do our eyes see colour or how do we perceive colour. We see colour by relying on four main light-sensitive cells which are three cone photoreceptors and one rod photoreceptor. These particular cells are found within the retina.
What colour you see is essentially determined by the balance of activity of these three cells. Your sense of colour is diminished at night when the light is too faint to stimulate the cones. You may know or have heard that we perceive the world in gray. This is because one type of photoreceptor, which is called the rod, is preserving your visual function.
How are LED technology and blue light connected?
When answering the question, is blue light bad for your eyes, it’s also important to understand the link and relationship between LED technology and blue light and how they’re connected. The majority of incandescent light sources such as sunlight have a broad spectrum of light. Light emitting diodes (or LEDs), on the other hand, generate fairly narrow peaks of light that the manufacturer crafts themselves. You may find LED lights to be similar to that of daylight or that it mimics traditional artificial light sources in some cases.
You may not perceive or notice the blue light that’s emitted from LEDs. However, they do tend to give off more blue light than traditional light sources. However, there’s no evidence that the blue light poses a threat or physical hazard to the retina. That being said, it has been known to stimulate the circadian clock (or your internal biological clock), which can disrupt sleep and keep you away from other types of light sources. Today’s screens rely on LED technology so it’s good to keep this in mind as you use your devices. The greatest amount of blue light is produced by the backlight of the displays on these devices.
What does blue light do to your eyes?
So, now it’s important to address what does blue light really do to your eyes and is blue light dangerous to eyes? There are some risks from blue light to be aware of. Due to the amount of light that’s emitted from consumer electronics, they are not harmful to your retina. However, you should be mindful that the sun, high-power consumer LEDs, “military-grade” flashlights, and other handheld lights, can be harmful if you look directly into them. Looking directly at the point of the LED can also be dangerous and pose a threat to your eyes. The risk of blue light to your eyes is nothing near other risks that come from aging, smoking, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease, for example.
Belson Opticians guide to blue light and its effect on eyes!
Your eyes are an essential part of your body and help you function daily. Our team understands the importance of keeping them in the best condition possible. While there’s no reason to block your eyes from the blue light you may want to get in the habit of not staring at your screens around the clock or before bed. Overall, it’s best to limit your time spent on your devices for better eye and overall health. Any blue light damage that does occur could lead to permanent vision changes.
Since staring at your screens and devices is common to do daily, one option you can try is to invest in the right types of lenses that can protect against blue light and other UV or sunlight exposure. For example, Photochromic Lenses can darken and lighten according to UV and light exposure when you’re out and about or looking at your bright screens. There are also specific blue light glasses that will help to block the light from putting strain on your eyes. Contact us today to learn more about the lenses we offer and see if there’s a solution for you.
If you believe you have an eye condition that requires treatment then give us a call today. Here at Belson & Sons we are experienced opticians that can properly treat a variety of eye conditions and ensure you maintain excellent eye health.
In Summary: Does blue light damage eyes
You now have the information you need to answer the question, is blue light bad for your eyes? Generally speaking, the answer is no and blue light effect on eyes isn’t damaging in most cases. Therefore, you should feel comfortable and free to use your devices and LED technology as you please and within reason. Keep in mind that it can disrupt your sleep or make you feel awake, especially if you’re scrolling and using your electronics right before bed. Computers and devices can also cause eye strain which can be uncomfortable and concerning.
If you are currently experiencing eye pain or discomfort, then be sure that you contact your local Belson and Sons Eye practitioner right away to schedule an appointment. We can help identify any issues you may be experiencing by alerting you on what you need to look out for, and what kind of additional help you need to seek.
Are you concerned about your eyes or want to take an eye test? Then give us a call today or visit our website to book an appointment.
We look forward to working with you!