Should you be concerned about blue light exposure?
Blue light occurs is all around both naturally in sunlight and artificially in digital screens, electronic devices and LED lighting, to name but a few. They are among the shortest, highest energy wavelengths in the visible light spectrum and because they are shorter, these "Blue" or High Energy Visible (HEV) wavelengths flicker more easily creating a glare which may be one of the reasons for eyestrain, headaches, physical and mental fatigue caused by many hours staring at a digital screen, computer or other electronic device.
Benefits of natural blue light
Sunlight is the main natural source of blue light and being outdoors during daylight is where most of us get most of our exposure to it.
Our body uses blue light from the sun to regulate our circadian rhythm, our natural sleep and wake cycle.
However, it also controls our pupillary reflex, memory and brain performance and helps boost alertness, heighten reaction time, elevates moods and increases our feelings of well-being.
Top 3 reasons why blue light is bad for you
The eye cannot block out blue light
Although our eyes are very effective at blocking ultra-violet (UV) rays from reaching the retina, the natural eye filters do not provide sufficient protection against blue light allowing virtually all visible blue light to pass through the cornea and lens and reach the retina.
Blue light exposure may increase the risk of permanent eye damage
Growing medical evidence suggests that prolonged exposure to blue light may cause permanent eye damage; contribute to the destruction of the cells in the centre of the retina; and play a role in causing age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to vision loss.
A Harvard medical study reported: "High Energy Visible (HEV) blue light has been identified for years as the most dangerous light for the retina. After chronic exposure, one can expect to see long range growth in the number of macular degenerations, glaucomas, and retinal degenerative diseases".
Blue light contributes to digital eye strain
Most of us spend the majority of our waking hours staring at digital screen, whether it's the computer at work, our personal cell phone, playing a video game, or just relaxing and watching TV. When you're looking at screens that emit significant amounts of blue light it can contribute to digital eye strain. This is because short-wavelength, high energy blue light scatters more easily than other visible light, and is not as easily focused.
Digital eye strain has overtaken carpal-tunnel syndrome as the number one computer-related complaint and it doesn’t just affect adults.
Children are also at risk of digital eye strain because of their access to and use of digital devices.
Some children spend more than seven hours a day in front of a device from a television to a smart phone and gaming device. As the eyes do not fully develop until the age of about 10, the lens and cornea are still transparent and overexposed to light, meaning exposure to too much blue light is not a good thing.
Why are we exposed to so much artificial blue light?
The use of digital devices has increased significantly over the last few years with most of us spending the majority of our waking hours staring at a digital screen. In fact, studies suggest that 60% of people spend more than 6 hours a day in front of a digital device.
As our usage has increased, so has the digital screen technology with many of today's electronic devices using LED back-light technology to help enhance screen brightness and clarity. It is these LEDs that emit the very strong blue light waves and because of their wide-spread use, we are gradually being exposed to more and more sources of blue light and for longer periods of time.
How can I protect my vision?
There are some well documented suggestions to help protect your vision from over-exposure to blue light, including:
- Try to get as much bright natural light as you can during the day. This will boost your ability to sleep at night, as well as your mood and alertness during daylight.
- Avoid looking at bright screens beginning two to three hours before bed.
- Use dim red lights for night lights. Red light has the least power to shift circadian rhythm and suppress melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.
- Use a blue light filter – these are commonly in the form of physical filters you put over your devices’ screens or glasses with blue filters. However, Gordon McAdam, founder of Combat Arts, recommends Iris.
What is Iris?
Iris is software, downloadable onto your electronic device, for eye protection, health and productivity. It is the modern-day equivalent of a supplement for your eyes and is used by billionaires, entrepreneurs, performance athletes, bodybuilders and Olympic champions on their computers.
It removes the blue light from your screen at night, controls your screen brightness without pulse-width modulation (PWM), helps you to sleep better and feel less eye strain.
Once downloaded, by default Iris works automatically and detects if it is day or night, based on that it will change your screen colour, temperature and brightness. When you open the control panel of the program you can select different modes and types of Iris.
Some of the benefits of Iris are that: it works even on docking stations and monitors connected with USB; it has a much larger blue light reduction colour range compared to all other alternatives; brightness without pulse-width modulation and partial screen blue light reduction amongst others.
If you're interested in buying a lifelong subscription to Iris, click here.
