How to Protect your Eyes from Blue Light
Have you ever found yourself with a headache and unable to sleep after a day in front of the computer? With many people working from home in front of a screen all day, protecting ourselves from blue light exposure is becoming more important.
Studies showed that the average adult in the US now spends more time each day staring at screens than sleeping. It is so easy to spend the whole day in front of a screen without realizing the damage it is doing to your eyes. This is especially the case when using multiple devices such as phones, tablets and laptops.
So, what is blue light? All visible colors are used to make up white light, however, those at the blue end of that range can be harmful to our eyes. Screens produce high levels of blue light and this can lead to eye strain and long-term damage to your eyesight.
We published a brief article about what blue light is, the benefits and harmful effects of that. Click here to read the article.
Why blue light protection is needed?
Blue light has been found to trigger many physical, mental and emotional issues. These include sleep disruption, headaches, increased risk of diabetes or cancer and mood disorders.
With screens producing high levels of blue light, this can lead to damage to your eyesight in the long run, and eye strain temporarily or permanently.
Blue light can stimulate energy levels, and so our body associates this light with daytime. Naturally, this can cause disruption to sleep patterns.
With screens becoming an essential part of many of our careers, this is an issue that is only going to become more prominent. Whilst there is nothing wrong with a small amount of blue light at a time, using devices all day long would be better with protection.
Many of us use screens for eight hours in a row at work. So now is the best time to start taking the first step towards better health for your future.
Our eye’s natural filters can’t provide sufficient protection against Blue light. It can easily pass through the cornea and reach to Retina. This can affect our vision and cause eye-related issues.
So, we need immediate action to keep our eyes safe from blue light exposure.
Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Eyes from Blue Light
There are several ways to protect your eyes from Blue light. In this article, we will discuss the top five ideas that are quick and easy to implement to help you protect yourself from blue light.
Use Blue light blocking Glasses
When it comes to protect your eyes from blue light, the easiest solution is to pick up a pair of blue light blocking glasses.
If you are spending your day alternating between various screens, blue light blocking glasses are a good option for you.
Glasses will allow your eyes to be protected from any device emitting blue light. So, when you switch from your laptop to your phone your eyes will still be protected.
Blue light glasses are available without a prescription, so you do not necessarily need to be a glasses wearer to use them. They can also be worn over contact lenses.
If you do wear glasses every day, your optician can add blue light lenses to your current prescription. This will allow your vision to be optimized for the distance at which you view any of your screens.
There are many different brands and a huge variety of different frames and lenses out there. So choosing a good one from there will not be a difficult task for you.
Some lens producers have started manufacturing anti-reflective coatings which are anti-glare. These will also assist in blocking blue light from sunlight. Photochromic lenses are another option to consider. They allow protection from indoor and outdoor UV and blue light and darken in response to a change in the environment.
Use screen protectors
If you need to use your screens all day at work, a great solution to this is a blue light screen protector.
These can be easily added to your smartphone, tablet or computer screen. They work to reduce the amount of blue light from these devices that reaches your eyes.
These screens do not alter your screen visibility and therefore allow you to carry on using your personal devices like before.
Some models of these protectors are made from tempered glass. This has the additional benefit of protecting your screens from scratches.
Screen protectors can be inexpensively ordered online and are easy to fit on your screen without assistance.
An additional benefit of these screens is that they can include privacy filters which stop anyone behind you viewing content on your screen!
Ocushield offers a medically rated screen protector that was created by optometrists. They offer a high-quality option to consider for laptops or computers.
Enable blue light filter or night mode on your devices
Phone makers are starting to take into account the levels of blue light emitted from their devices. They are also becoming aware of consumer’s concerns regarding this.
Whether you have an Apple or Android device, a quick and easy fix to your headaches and sleeping issues could be a simple adjustment to your phone settings.
iPhones offer a ‘Night mode’, which can be easily accessed in the settings. You can schedule the time by using this mode, and we suggest 10 pm to 7 am as an ideal time frame.
When night mode is activated, the blue light on your screen is filtered out and you will find your display to appear much warmer. You can also have this setting adjusted to the sunset and sunrise timings for your area.
On other phones, such as Samsung and Pixel, look for the ‘Blue light filter’ setting and adjust accordingly. This will create the same effect as described above and allow your eyes and mind to settle before going to bed each night.
Enabling a filter on your screen is a great option for those who feel they are unable to step away from screens completely.
Taking eye vitamins
Do you take daily vitamins and supplements for your body? Have you thought about taking ones that could benefit your eyesight?
Many companies have now released vitamins which claim to benefit eye health. These are formulated with people who look at screens all day in mind.
It’s quick and easy to take one tablet a day whilst you take your other vitamins, so why not consider adding this into your diet?
Bausch + Lomb have launched a supplement which contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two pigments in the eye that assist with the absorption of blue light. The supplement claims to protect your eyes from blue light. This is done by absorbing it before it reaches the macula of your eye.
Viteyes have produced their Blue Light Defender + supplement, which protects your eyes from the front to the back. Containing lutein and zeaxanthin they combat eye fatigue and strain and are recommended by eye care professionals.
Whilst you may not see results as immediately as other options, this is certainly something to look into if using screens is a long-term part of your working career.
Reduce screen time
Whilst much easier said than done, one of the biggest changes you can make is reducing your screen time. Once your working day is done, consider going screen-free for the evening.
Take part in activities such as fitness, cooking or reading that don’t necessitate the use of a screen. Whilst it may be impossible to completely stop using screens at work, how about having a screen-free lunch break? Or walking away from your computer for five minutes of every hour?
If you are using an iPhone or iPad, how about utilizing their ‘Screen Time’ feature?
This easy to use feature allows you to set screen limits on your phone and within certain apps. It automatically blocks access when you have hit your limits for the day.
A great suggestion for this would be putting an evening limit such as 9 pm. This will allow you a couple of hours away from screens before bedtime, which should result in better quality sleep.
When you are next on vacation, or even over a weekend off work, consider having a screen-free day or week. You will notice the change to your mood and mental health almost immediately by stepping away from your screens for a short time.
Hopefully, this will enable you to implement more screen-free time into your day to day life in future.
Final Verdict
Those are our top five tips for blue light protection. Whilst research is ongoing about the effects of blue light and screens on our physical and mental health, prevention is certainly the best option currently.
By tweaking your office setup, and setting a few more boundaries around your screen usage, you will be well on your way to good eye health. By reducing your screen time, you will see immediate results and higher levels of happiness and satisfaction in your life.
All of the options mentioned are either free or inexpensive, so there’s no excuse not to take action in your life now! Which of these tips are you going to implement in your life? Let us know in the comments below!
