Blue light is all around us. It can be found in both natural sunlight and artificial sources such as tablets, computers, Smartphones and television sets. It can be divided into two categories, which are blue-violet light and blue-turquoise light.
What’s the difference?
- Blue-Violet light operates at a wavelength of between 415nm and 455nm and can be very harmful.
- Blue-turquoise light operates on a wavelength of between 465nm and 500nm and is necessary to our vision and eye health.
What makes blue-violet light so harmful?
Over 8 million people in America alone are affected by AMD or age-related macular degeneration. This number, although already high, is expected to increase by more than 50% by the year 2020. Part of the cause of this vast increase in retinal damage is our dependence on technology. We now spend hours staring at devices that emit this harmful light, and even children are no longer safe from these damaging rays as they play and learn.
Where does all of this blue light come from?
Blue-violet light can come from even the most unlikely of sources. This includes:
- 30% of blue-violet light coming in through natural sunlight during daylight hours.
- LED bulbs, however energy saving, emit blue-violet light. The “cooler’ the shade, the more blue light.
- Tablets, computers, smart TVs and Smartphones all can emit harmful blue light.
What damage can it cause?
- An increase in retinal cell death, leading to irreversible blindness
- An increase in age-related macular degeneration before the age of 50
- Sleep problems
- Eye strain
- Headaches
Why focus on 455nm?
As said before, blue-violet light ranges all the way up to 455nm. This is the “peak” of harmful light that can cause damage and is the range emitted by most devices. Our competitors may claim to block out harmful blue light, but generally, it’s only at a rate of 420nm, which is not doing much in the way of blocking out the worst of the rays. Our specially tinted BluTech lenses block out 455nm of blue light, so your eyes are well protected, even after hours of device use.
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