PEOPLE have started to worry about the health effects of blue light emitting from screens. For this reason, more and more people are wearing blue light glasses.
These are glasses that contain lenses that partially block short-wave blue light.
Current research has not confirmed whether or not blue light-emitting devices are damaging to eyes and vision. Also, experts are still unsure whether or not wearing blue light glasses can help prevent any potential damage due to long-term exposure to screens.
Keep reading to learn more about blue light glasses and current research investigating them.
Blue light glasses are glasses that manufacturers claim can filter out blue light. The glasses have filtering materials or surface coatings on the lenses that block a portion of blue light.
People who think that their eye and vision symptoms are due to blue light exposure may wear them to decrease their exposure to it.
Blue light itself is a short-wave blue light in the spectrum of colors visible to the human eye. Its wavelength is in the blue portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is roughly 400–500 nanometers (nm). Researchers believe that peak light damage occurs roughly at 440 nm.
Computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and general lighting can all expose the eyes to blue light.
Manufacturers claim that blue light glasses can prevent blue light from damaging the eyes. Experts suggest that damage can occur with high doses of blue light but also with a longer duration of less intense exposure.
With the increased use of light-emitting diodes (LED), organic LED, and active-matrix organic LED in technology, people now have chronic exposure to blue light. Experts cannot rule out a yet undiscovered risk of chronic, day-long exposure to LED and blue light.
Some experts suggest that the low levels of blue light emitted from devices are not hazardous, even with prolonged exposure. A 2017 systematic review suggests that there is not enough evidence to support the potential benefits of blue light glasses, and some advertisers have received fines for making misleading claims.
Other researchers have demonstrated that exposure to short-wave light from devices before bedtime may disrupt sleep patterns. A small 2019 study suggests that blue light glasses may be beneficial for treating sleep disorders in people with Parkinson’s disease.
