It has been my custom to use my phone every night before going to sleep. Well, I think this has been one of your habit too I guess, right? We love to skim on our Facebook or Instagram feeds just before we dose off. This habit poses a great and irreversible effect on our end as digital screens cause blindness later in life.
I’ve heard about this threat way before I realize that there is something going on with my eyes. It strains more than the usual. I ignored it since I knew this has nothing to do with my night habits of reading from my iPad or smartphone. I was wrong all along.
Blue Light: The Culprit
So let us talk about the real cause of this eye-related problems brought by our smartphone devices. Not all is familiar with the Blue Light but I presume that everyone knows about the rainbow. The colors of the rainbow consist of many colors and one of them is blue. Let it be known to your understanding that if the colors of the rainbow are combined, they become the white light that we see. Let us also correlate the color of the flame with the light energy. Blue flame is hotter than the red one so that makes the blue light have more energy than red. Adding to this, light that looks white usually have a large blue component which we are mostly exposed all the time. (Preventblindness.org)
Where it can come from?
Blue light is everywhere. Sources of blue light may include the sun, your televisions, computer screens, smartphone, tablets and electronic devices. As per research published by Inserm UMRS 872, Physiopathology of Ocular Disease: Therapeutic Innovations, light-emitting diodes also known as LED poses a risk for potential retinal hazards. This only means that anything made up or has LED produces blue light and can cause risk on our eye.
How does it affect the eye anyway?
The eye is not good in blocking blue light. The cornea and the lens blocks UV rays from the sun. The virtually visible blue light passes through these and easily reaches the retina. By the way, retina is the inner lining of the back of your eye. It is the one that is responsible for receiving the lens have focused, converts these lights into neural signals and then sends this to our brain for visual recognition. (Gary Heiting, OD)
If you find that too scientific, to make it more understandable it is the part of our eye that is responsible for visual recognition, period. The retina is composed of light-sensitive cells and too much exposure to blue light can damage these cells. This damage can resemble to that of a macular degeneration that leads to permanent vision loss later in life.
Blue light from our techs also contribute to digital eye strain which I complained much about in the first part of this blog.
But is it really that bad?
The answer to this question is no, in some point. Blue light coming from the sun regulate our natural sleeping and waking patterns. We call it our circadian rhythm. It is also responsible for alertness, helps memory and cognitive functions and mood elevations. (bluelightexposed.com) So, the purpose of the fluorescents that you have in your office is to help you get through the day of work.
What am I gonna do now?
There are few measures you can follow to reduce the amount of blue light exposure.
Reduce screen time. You have to decrease the amount of time in front of your smartphone or digital screens. You can also take breaks in between.
Use anti-reflective glasses. This reduces glare and increases contrast. It is also effective in blocking blue light from the sun and digital devices.
Screen Filters. There are different screen filters available that block our harmful blue light. They can be shields that can be mounted on your computer screens or smartphones. (preventblindness.org)
Comfort view and Night Shifts. These are settings on your android or iOS. These options lessen the amount of light emitted by the screen. You can find these options on your display settings. They may turn your screens yellowish but is an inexpensive way to reduce blue light exposure.
Lastly,NEVER READ IN THE DARK. Imay suggest you read in a well lit environment if you are using your digital devices. Refrain from using your smartphone few minutes before bedtime as well when you have already put off the lights. Better be cautious than never. Regrets always come last my friend.
