You may notice that most articles discussing the harmful effects of blue light focus mostly on the disruption to our sleep cycle. And for good reason–the impact on our health cannot be overstated.
But you may still be wondering: what does blue light physically do to our eyeballs?
The Eyes are Not Very Effective at Blocking Blue Light
The front part of our eyes, the cornea and lens, are very effective when it comes to blocking UV rays from reaching the back part of the eye (the light-sensitive part called the retina). Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for blue light. Virtually all visible blue light passes through the cornea and lens and reaches the retina.
This is problematic on two levels: short-term and long-term.
Short-term Problems
Too much blue light exposure can be felt daily by our eyes. The most common symptoms include:
- Eye strain
- Blurry vision
- Dry eyes
- Headaches occuring behind the eyes
These are not enjoyable symptoms, but if kept in check early enough they can be stopped before turning into worse long-term issues.
Long-term Problems
If nothing is done to block overexposure to blue light, more serious risks occur. Chief amongst these is the possibility of macular degeneration. Macular Degeneration is the number one cause of vision loss, affecting more than 10 million Americans (more than both glaucoma and cataracts combined). And there’s currently no cure.
Macular Degeneration is caused by a deterioration in the central part of the retina. Much like a camera, the macula is a sensitive area that collects highly detailed images, which are then processed by the brain. When the macula starts to deteriorate, the images fail to process correctly.
The causes of macular degeneration are not entirely understood or known at this time. Age-related reasons, genetics and environmental influences (such as overexposure to blue light) are the main culprits right now according to scientists.
Like most serious long-term problems, prevention is key.
BluTech Lenses are scientifically designed to help with both the short-term and long-term effects of blue light exposure on our eyes. To learn more, click here.
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