blue light

WHY YOU NEED TO PROTECT YOUR EYES FROM BLUE LIGHT

Regular visible light is made up of several different wavelengths, and some of these have more energy than others. This makes it so that some of the colors are easier to look at than others. Red light, for example, is easier on the eyes because it has a longer, lower-energy wavelength than other colors. Blue light, on the other hand, is hard to look at for a long time. This is because it has a short, high-energy wavelength.

Blue Light is Ubiquitous in Modern Times

Computer monitors, cellphone screens, and some common types of indoor and street lighting all produce large amounts of blue light. This makes it so that your eyes get little rest from looking at it. Over time, this causes a variety of negative effects, including:

• Symptoms of dry eye

• Eye strain

• Sticky eyes

• The feeling of sand or grit in the eyes

• Sleeping difficulties

It may seem strange that "sleeping difficulties" are in this list, but it's there because blue light doesn't just affect our eyes. This light also fools the sleep/wake cycle into thinking that it's broad daylight even when it's the middle of the night. This often causes insomnia.

The symptoms directly associated with the eyes are strongly correlated with computer use. In fact, they are a large component of what is known as "computer vision syndrome."

Protecting Your Eyes From Blue Light

Since avoiding computers and cellphones is neither practical nor desirable, the solution to the blue light issue is to use filters to keep blue light from reaching your eyes. The easiest filter is actually a coating that is applied to eyeglass lenses. This coating blocks blue light from getting through while allowing other, less-damaging wavelengths to reach your eyes.

People who wore glasses with these treated lenses were able to look at monitors and other sources of blue light 1.5 without eye strain times longer than they could without them. They also reported greatly reduced symptoms of dry eye, stickiness, and grittiness.

Do You Need a Prescription for Blue Light Filtering Glasses?

There is no need for a prescription for these glasses if you intend for them to only protect your eyes from blue light. You can pick them up from our optical store in Miami the same as you would custom-tinted sunglasses. However, if you want vision correction ground into the lenses, you will need a prescription just like with regular corrective eyewear.

​​​​​​​Contact Our Local Opticians Today

To get a pair of eyeglasses with blue light filtering lenses, and a prescription if needed, just make an appointment with us here at International Opticians in Miami. For a stylish look, be sure to check out our Optica frames.