Blue Light Protection

All light is made up of a spectrum of different colors, which correspond to different wavelengths of energy. The screens on digital devices have a higher proportion of high energy visible (HEV) blue light. The higher the energy, the more it can affect our eyes. Blue and violet light is the highest energy on the visible light spectrum. Prolonged exposure can strain and even damage our eyes. That is why it is critical you talk to your Sandy Springs optometrist about ways to protect you and your family.

Risks Of Blue Light

Macular Degeneration
The Schepens Eye Institute demonstrated that a low density of macular pigment may represent a risk factor for AMD by permitting greater blue light damage.

Cataracts
Recent research indicates a strong link between exposure to blue light and incidences of Cataracts.

Eye Strain
Blue light causes less contrast to be visible to the human eye, this causes more strain on our eyes. This is particularly common with people who work most of the day on the computer.

Protect Your Eyes From Blue Light

• Buy glasses with blue-light blocking lenses, available at Family Eye Care Center of Atlanta

• If possible, limit screen time on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or computer or take breaks

• Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away

• Add warm lighting for your home and office to have a lower proportion of blue light

Blue Light Protection

Nowadays, most of us spend many hours a day sitting in front of a modern TV, computer screen, tablet, or smartphone. The light from the screen of these digital devices has adverse effects on our retina, and the long-term effects are still unknown. If you spend hours a day in front of a screen, sooner or later, you are likely to feel discomfort in your eyes including soreness, fatigue, and blurriness.

At Family Eye Care Center of Atlanta, we provide our patients with sophisticated blue light blocking lenses that can shield your eyes from direct exposure to blue light.

What Is Blue Light?
Sunlight consists of various colors of light. This includes orange, yellow, red, green, indigo, blue, and violet light. When combined, they form white light. Each of these colors corresponds to a different wavelength of light. The shorter the wavelength, the higher the energy. Blue and violet light have the shortest wavelengths on the visible light spectrum, sitting just below the ultra-violet wavelengths in terms of energy output.

This is what we expose our eyes to whenever we stare at the screen of our digital devices. Prolonged exposure strains your eyes, messes with your sleep cycle, and likely causes serious long-term damage.

Sources Of Blue Light

Is Blue Light Always A Bad Thing?

Sunlight is the largest source of blue light. Other sources include:

• LED light

• Fluorescent light

• CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs

• Flat screen LED televisions

• Computer monitors, tablet screens, and smartphones

No. Some blue light exposure is important as it helps regulate our sleep and helps stave off depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The best way to get helpful levels of blue light is to go outside during the day and spend some time out of doors.

The problem with blue light from digital devices is that it is a lot of focused and continuous blue light in a way we don’t experience in nature. It is this kind of exposure which is causing problems and worrying optometrists.

Is My Digital Device Screen Dangerous To My Eyes?

Our eyes absorb light. Light on high-energy end of the visible spectrum is typically called blue light. This light goes through the cornea and lens, directly into the retina. This can cause long-term damage and possibly cause your eyes to age prematurely. Some of the dangers of blue light on the eyes include:

Digital Eye Strain
Blue light from digital devices and computer screens can reduce contrast. This causes digital eye strain. Dry eyes, fatigue, bad lighting, and the way you sit in front of your computer can also contribute to eye strain. Typically, you will feel discomfort, soreness, and perhaps blurred vision. At times, you may find it difficult to focus.

Retina Damage
Recent studies have shown that overexposure of the eyes to blue light can damage the retinal cells. This may lead to vision issues such as age-related macular degeneration which eventually leads to permanent loss of vision.

Sleep Issues
Exposure to excess blue light at night through indoor lighting, digital devices, or computer screens is proved to disrupt the circadian rhythms that regulate our sleep patterns. It tricks your internal clock into thinking that it is the middle of the day. This causes difficulty in falling asleep, insomnia, and daytime fatigue.

Cancer
Research shows that overexposure to blue light reduces melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone that affects our bodies circadian rhythms, which regulate sleep among other processes. Recent experimental evidence at Harvard University also indicates a correlation between lower levels of melatonin and the associated frequency of cancer.

Blue Light Blocking Lenses At Family Eye Care Center Of Atlanta

To help prevent long-term damage to your eyes, Laguna Eyes Optometry provides state-of-the-art blue light blocking lenses and lens coatings for both children and adults. This will help protect your eyes from exposure to blue light and allow you to use your digital devices more comfortably and with significantly less soreness and eye strain. Our premium blue light blocking lens options include Zeiss Duravision Blue and Drive Safe, BluTech, Shamir Blue Zero, Hoya Recharge, and VSP Techshield blue. For our patients 15 and older, we also measure macular pigment density.

ZEISS DuraVision BlueProtect
The ZEISS DuraVision BlueProtect lenses filter out wavelengths of blue-violet that are shorter than 440nm — the range of light which is considered by eye doctors to be the most dangerous. By blocking only these very high energy wavelengths, the ZEISS DuraVision BlueProtect coating protects your eyes from retinal cell damage, phototoxicity, and disruptions to your sleep cycle while allowing beneficial frequencies of blue light through. You will be protected with clear and true-color vision while still enjoying the benefits of blue light