Examining the Effectiveness of Blue Light Filter Glasses for Reducing Blue Light Exposure
Blue light filter glasses are considered effective in protecting the eyes from exposure to blue light. Unfortunately, there is no strong enough evidence that exposure to blue light can damage eye health, so glasses with special filters are still being debated.
Table of Content
1. What are blue light filter glasses?
2. Is it important to use blue light filter glasses?
3. Staring at the gadget screen for too long causes eye strain
Worried that it can adversely affect their eye health, many people nowadays choose to use blue light filter glasses. Equipped with special lenses, these glasses are said to block the emission of blue light that has the potential to damage the eyes.
What are blue light filter glasses?
Blue light filter glasses are glasses that have a special coating or filter on the lens. The bad impact caused by blue light is probably due to its wavelength which is in the range of 400-500 nanometers of the electromagnetic spectrum. The researchers themselves believe that the peak of the damage is caused by light with a wavelength of about 440 nanometers.
Is it important to use blue light filter glasses?
According to manufacturers, exposure to blue light from gadgets or gadgets can damage users’ eyes. On the other hand, some experts admit that exposure to low-intensity blue light is not harmful.
In addition, a 2017 systematic review also did not find sufficient evidence to suggest that blue light filter glasses can protect the eyes from damage. Some parties who promote blue light filter glasses have even been asked to pay fines for making misleading claims.
Experts have not been able to determine whether blue light filter glasses are able to block blue light from entering directly into the eye. Instead of blaming the blue light from the screen, experts believe that eye symptoms are caused by computer vision syndrome (CVS), also known as digital eye strain.
Meanwhile, a study explains that exposure to blue light from devices received before bed can disrupt your sleep patterns. The use of blue light filter glasses is considered to be one way to overcome this problem because it can improve the quality and duration of sleep.
Therefore, further studies are still needed to determine for sure whether exposure to blue light from a smartphone screen can harm your eyes or vision. This shows that the ability of blue light filter glasses to protect the eyes from exposure to blue light has not been fully proven.
Staring at the gadget screen for too long causes eye strain
Despite the possible impact blue light can have, staring at a screen for too long can strain your eyes. This condition then reduces the frequency of blinking, thus making the eyes dry.
There are several things you can do to prevent eye strain, including:
1. Using eye drops
When you stare at the screen for too long, your eyes will usually blink less often than usual. To treat dry eyes due to the lack of frequency of blinking, use eye drops to keep them wet.
2. Change computer settings
You can reduce eye strain by changing the text size to two times larger than usual. Also, avoid reading text with colorful backgrounds or writing.
3. Wear an anti-glare screen protector
Using anti-glare protectors on computer screens, laptops, or gadgets can reduce direct light exposure. Exposure to light that goes directly to the eye has the potential to cause eye strain and other vision problems.
4. Adjust screen brightness
Do not adjust the screen brightness at a level that is too bright or too dark. Adjust the screen brightness according to your surroundings to get the right level for your eyes.
5. Conduct periodic inspections
Not routinely, most people will usually only have their eyes checked by a doctor when they have problems. To ensure that your eye health is maintained, start having regular eye exams.
6. Apply the 20-20-20. rule
To avoid eye strain, apply the 20-20-20 rule. Under this rule, you must look from the screen to an object 20 feet away (approximately 6 meters) for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
7. Keep your seat distance from the screen
Sit about 25 inches (60cm, about an arm’s length) from the computer screen to prevent eye strain. Also, position the screen so that your eyes are looking down slightly.