Benefits of Blue Light Lenses

Whenever we step outside in the bright sunshine, we grab for our sunglasses to protect us from the intensity of the light. However, do we protect ourselves from blue light emitted from our digital screens? Prolonged exposure to blue light, especially during the evening, can be damaging to our eyes. Learn what blue light is and how it can negatively affect our health and why the new Fuse Lenses blue light filtering lenses might be a good fit for you.

What is Blue Light?

Sunlight emits white light, which is the combination of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet light. Red light contains longer wavelengths, which means the energy is lower. In contrast, blue light, known as high energy visible light (HEV), has a shorter wavelength and higher energy. Because of that higher energy, long exposure to blue light can have a negative effect.

Being exposed to a regular amount of blue light from the sun is not actually a bad thing. However, what causes the most concern is exposure to blue light from cell phones, computers, tablets, televisions, and other LCD screens. There is a growing concern with the long-term effects of screen exposure because of the amount of time spent looking at these screens, as well as the screen’s close proximity to your eyes.

How is Blue Light Harmful?

Digital eye strain and sleep disruption are some of the main concerns with prolonged exposure of blue light. According to the Nielsen Company, U.S. adults spend over 10 hours using media per day, with an average of 83% of that time being spent on digital devices.

Factors that can contribute to digital eye strain are fatigue, dry eyes, bad lighting, or how the screen is positioned. Some common symptoms that occur with digital eye strain are sore or irritated eyes, difficulty focusing, blurred vision, and headaches. This negative effect of blue light is also known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). According to a survey done by the Vision Council, 59 percent of American adults reported experiencing symptoms of digital eye strain.

Sleep disruption is caused when melatonin production is disturbed, especially in the evening before people head off to bed. This can affect the natural sleeping pattern and prevent us from getting a good night rest. According to consumer reports, 80 percent of adults surveyed said they struggle with sleep at least once a week; many taking dietary supplements, like melatonin, to help them sleep.

Your eye does naturally develop some blue light protection, but this protection peaks during adult ages. This means younger people (children and teens) and older adults (65+) are more susceptible to the effects of blue light. However, symptoms of blue light exposure can occur in anyone.

How is Blue Light Helpful?

Not all blue light is harmful. The largest source of blue light is the sun, so it can actually help keep us alert and awake during the day. It can also help with memory and cognitive function and improve our mood. Blue light also regulates people’s circadian rhythm, which is the body’s natural wake and sleep cycle.

Blue light becomes harmful when people are exposed to it too much, especially towards the evening. If a person is exposed to blue light during the evening, it disrupts normal sleep schedules. If you start to develop any symptoms from screen usage, blue light filtering lenses from Fuse Lenses might be a good fit for you.

Protect Your Eyes

There are many changes you can make to start reducing your exposure to blue light. There are multiple apps available for Apple or Android that filter blue light on your phone. These apps mask blue light by shifting the color tone of what is on the screen to warmer parts of the color spectrum - reds, yellows, and oranges. These applications are very helpful at reducing the light that is emitted by the display. However, these apps are not totally effective and can make it harder to focus on your screen since the contrast is reduced and the colors are distorted.

Another way to protect your eyes from blue light is to simply reduce your amount of screen time. People often use their devices for many reasons throughout the day. Alarms are set on the phone, work emails are checked and sent, social media feeds are scrolled through, GPS is used to get to one place to another, and so forth. A good rule to try and follow is the 20-20-20 rule. Every twenty minutes, give your eyes a break for twenty seconds by being at least 20 feet away from the screen.

However, with the fast-paced lives of today, taking a break from screen time isn’t always possible. That’s where Fuse Lenses new blue light filtering lenses come in. These lenses help to filter the blue light emitted by phones, TV’s, tablets, and other electronic devices. This means your eyes don’t strain as much when using digital screens for an extended period of time. This can help reduce headaches, blurry vision, and get a better night’s sleep.

Are Blue Light Lenses Right for You?

If you are experiencing problems after prolonged exposure of blue light like eye fatigue, sleep deprivation, blurred vision or headaches, it might be a good idea to get Fuse’s blue light filtering lenses and try them for yourself.

Blue light lenses are designed to filter blue light and also reduce the amount of glare from your screens. With these glasses, you can use your digital devices with a little more peace of mind.

Summary

Blue light is naturally found in sunlight and can actually be good for us by keeping us alert and awake during the daytime and improving our mood. However, blue light from cell phones, computers, tablets, televisions, and other LCD screens can cause digital eye strain and disrupt the natural cycle of sleep. Taking a break from our screens and wearing the new blue light filtering lenses from Fuse Lenses can help combat these symptoms and keep our eyes healthy.