What is blue light, and why is blue light protection important?

Posted by Nadia Winget on December 15th, 2021

Blue light is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of yellow light. It comes from the sun, as well as man-made sources such as computers and smartphones screens. The sun emits blue light in the form of ultraviolet (UV) radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of yellow light. Whichever source it comes from, it is best to get protective spectacles online in Sri Lanka for this purpose, in order to protect your eyes.

What is blue light, and why is it important to protect your eyes from blue light exposure?

This type of light can damage your eyes, leading to problems like eye strain, dryness or infection. Blue Light Protection refers to any technique used to reduce exposure to blue light, for example by using blue blocking glasses, filtering software on devices or choosing an appropriate screen brightness setting. You can also find blue light blocking contact lenses in Sri Lanka and elsewhere for those who prefer not to wear bulky glasses.

Without protection, you may experience dry eye, headache and/or neck pain. In the long term, and blue light exposure can cause macular degeneration and cataracts, which are both very serious eye conditions.

In order to protect our eyes from this harmful type of radiation, we must avoid using digital devices in dark rooms for a prolonged period of time, as well as seek professional help if you experience discomfort while wearing your current glasses. Blocking software is available on many different computers and smartphones today, allowing users to adjust their screen brightness accordingly or have more control over how much blue light they are being exposed to at any one time.

Blue Light Protection Tips

Here are some tips on how to protect your eyes from blue light:

-      Switch to glasses that block blue light if you are going to be staring at a digital device for prolonged periods of time.

-      Block your exposure by adjusting the brightness on your devices or using software applications such as F.lux, which changes the colour temperature of your screen according to the time of day.

-      Seek professional help immediately if experiencing any discomfort while wearing your current glasses.

-      Regularly visit an optometrist in order to receive an eye examination and discuss protection options with them, including possible prescriptions for new lenses or even transitioning towards contact lenses entirely (which also offer some UV protection).

How to protect your eyes from too much blue light exposure

Optometrists regularly check their patients\' eyesight and can recommend lens options that would best protect them from too much blue light exposure. They are well aware of which prescriptions come with optimal levels of eye protection, so it is important you visit an optometrist at least once every year (or more often if necessary) for an annual eye examination. The earlier they find problems, the better chance there is for successful treatment before serious damage occurs. Not only will this help to protect your vision, but it will also ensure that you are able to see as clearly as possible.

Eye problems caused by blue light may be more common among children, especially in recent times, due to excessive use of mobile devices for online classrooms etc. It is best to get your vision and especially that of children checked every year, so that the optometrist can monitor your eye health. Children who are exposed to high amounts of blue light could even have long term eye problems, hence it is an absolute necessity to get their eyes checked on a regular basis.

This will help to ensure you have healthy eyes and are able to see clearly. It is also important for children who often use their mobile devices in class or at home to be monitored closely by an adult on what kinds of apps they visit online while using these devices. If possible, parents should limit screen time during the day and encourage other activities such as going outside more frequently because blue light emitted from computers, tablets or phones reaches deeper into our eyes than natural sunlight does. Protecting kids\' eyes from blue-light damage will not only preserve their sight but it could potentially save them from developing serious long term eye problems such as macular degeneration and cataracts.

In addition, limit the amount of additional screen time for kids if they need to do their classes online, this will at least help to some extent. This can be done by limiting screen time during the day, encouraging other activities such as going outside more frequently rather than watching TV or playing computer games.

Blue light is an important part of our natural environment but it also has some harmful effects on eyes if not protected properly. Make sure that you are taking the right precautions if you are someone who is constantly using computers or other devices.