Our life revolves around digital devices, from our personal, official and even social life is all connected to an electronic device. In the current scenario where are all are working from home, or in self-isolation because of COVID -19 our screen times have doubled as there is nothing else to do. Just imagine the amount of strain we are putting on our eyes with prolonged exposure to the harmful light emitting from electronic devices i.e Blue Light.
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Side Effects of Blue Light Exposure
Other than having trouble to fall asleep there are few symptoms you need to keep a check on if you are exposed to blue light for longer hours.
Some of the common symptoms to check if you have digital eye strain are:
- Blurred vision.
- Dizziness.
- Eye strain.
- Dry eyes.
- Headaches.
- Double vision.
Now that we know about the side effects of blue light let’s look into ways to reduce the exposure.
What are Blue Light Glasses?
Blue light is the light emitted by any electronic device like laptop, smartphone, television, tablet or gaming devices which when overexposed to the human eye can cause retinal damage. Exposure to blue light is a cause of concern as it’s wavelengths are shorter than other lights so it has more energy. Although they have been no claims on its impact on our eye health, it does suppress the release of the sleep hormone melatonin, disrupting our circadian rhythm which makes it harder for us to fall asleep.
Why should you use Blue Light Glasses
One of the important things to remember about blue light is that it is also a natural part of sunlight, and helps us keep alert ( which is a positive effect). This would be helpful when we want to stay awake late in the night working, the problem arises when we wish to fall asleep at night after overexposure throughout the day or latter part in the night when we binge-watch television or scroll through social media right before bed. The solution found for falling asleep faster at night after various studies on this topic suggest and recommend “people to avoid looking at electronic devices/screens a few hours before bed.”
The best way to avoid overexposure is to control our screen times, which quite frankly is impossible to do as our daily routine and work are dependant on some sort of electronic device. The best you can do is take regular breaks from your screen time and focus on natural surroundings or walk around so you can eye can focus on things at a different distance.
11 Best Blue Light Blocking Glasses That Are On Offer To Get Rid Of Headaches
Remedies
One of the quick and easier remedy to fix the issue of blue light exposure is to use night shift setting on your phones and tablets. Night shift automatically adjusts the colours of the display to the warmer end of the spectrum, which makes the display easier on our eyes, or you can use the dark mode, which is available on a few devices and apps, this mode turns white backgrounds to black which reduced the amount of light emitted.
Though in the first option the screen gets a reddish or orange tint, which takes away the fun of enjoying the original colours.
The other option you are left with is using blue light glasses.
Uses of Blue Light Glasses
Blue light glasses help by filtering out blue light emitted by an electronic device, which in return lets you use the said device for a longer period of time without the worry of damaging your eyes.
Who should use Blue Light Glasses?
These glasses can also be worn by gamers, who play video games as a hobby. You can search for glasses designed especially for gaming purpose which offer a wider view and can be worn with earphones without any discomfort.
Do they need Prescription to buy?
These glasses are easy to buy as they don’t need a prescription and can be brought even through online stores. In case you already wear prescription glasses you can choose a lens which blocks blue light, which will work for both the purposes. These glasses are also useful for kids and teens who use laptops, tablets and computers to study for long hours.
Blue Light Glasses Styles
Blue light glasses come in various styles so you don’t have to be worried about looking like a nerd, in fact, they are comfortably stylish and chic. Some of the options you can choose while picking up blue light glasses are:
- Bifocal lens.
- UV Protection.
- Anti-glare.
- Anti-scratch.
11 Best Blue Light Blocking Glasses That Are On Offer To Get Rid Of Headaches
Even though they are limited studies on blue light exposure, people who have used these blue light blocking glasses and have got better sleep, more eye comfort and lots of compliments on their new glasses.