Do Blue Light Filters Work? Benefits and Myths

Do Blue Light Filters Work?

Blue light filters reduce the intraocular transmission of short‐wavelength visible light.⁸ Manufacturers claim that blue light filters reduce the effects of blue light from the following:

Computer and laptop screens
Cell phones
Tablets
Flat-screen televisions

Blue light glasses feature filtering materials or surface coating on the lenses to block out blue light. People who believe that their eye and vision symptoms are from blue light exposure may wear blue light glasses to reduce their exposure.

However, a 2017 systematic review suggests insufficient evidence is available to support the potential benefits of blue light glasses.⁵ Some advertisers have even received fines for misleading claims.

Despite the lack of evidence to support blue light glasses, wearing them won’t cause any harm. It’s up to the person whether they want to try blue light glasses.

What is Blue Light?

Blue light is a part of the visible light spectrum. This spectrum refers to what the human eye can see.

Blue light vibrates within the 380 to 500-nanometer range. It has the shortest wavelength and the highest energy.⁷

Approximately one-third of all visible light is high-energy visible or ‘blue’ light. Sunlight is the most significant source of blue light.⁷

Artificial sources of blue light include:

Fluorescent light
Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs
LEDs
Flat-screen LED televisions
Computer monitors
Tablet screens
Smartphones

How Does Blue Light Affect the Eyes?

Here are the different ways blue light affects the eyes:

Retinal Damage

Consistent exposure to blue light may damage retinal cells over time. This may cause vision problems like age-related macular degeneration.

Blue light exposure can also contribute to:

Cataracts
Eye cancer
Growths on the clear covering over the white part of the eye
Poor sleeping patterns

Interrupted Sleep

Exposure to blue light before sleeping can affect sleep patterns. It affects when our bodies make melatonin.

This disrupts our circadian rhythm, which is the body’s natural clock.⁸ This can cause problems with sleep and wake cycles, leading to insomnia, lack of concentration, and fatigue.

Digital Eye Strain

Computer screens and digital devices emit a lot of blue light. People also tend to blink less when using digital devices. This reduces contrast and can contribute to digital eye strain.

Other common symptoms of eye strain include:

Headaches
Blurred vision
Neck and shoulder pain

Approximately 27 to 35 percent of people reported experiencing one of these symptoms after using digital devices.⁷People are exposed to more blue light than ever because of the everyday use of devices that rely on LED technology.

Blue Light & Circadian Rhythms

Blue light plays an important role in your circadian rhythm. Exposure to sunlight throughout the day helps synchronize your body’s internal clock.⁹

The sun used to be our only source of blue light. Now, most homes, offices, and stores are filled with it. Additionally, many people look at their computers and mobile devices at night.

This increase in blue light exposure can decrease melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone released by the pineal gland. It helps control your sleep-wake cycle.

Research suggests that wearing blue light blocking glasses before bed can effectively treat melatonin suppression.¹⁰

How Do Circadian Rhythms Affect Health?

Circadian rhythms involve several important body processes, including:

Sleep cycle
Heart rate
Blood pressure
Body temperature

Symptoms of circadian rhythm disorders include:

Extreme tiredness
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Difficulty concentrating and decreased alertness
Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both
Impaired judgment while driving
Poor emotional control
Body aches and pains
Headaches
Stomach problems

Without treatment, circadian rhythm disorders can increase your risk of several health issues, including cardiovascular disease.

5 Benefits of Blue Light Filters

Here are 5 benefits of blue light filters:

1. Improves Sleep

Exposure to short-wave light from digital devices before bedtime may affect sleep patterns.

A small 2019 study suggests that blue light filter glasses may help treat sleep disorders in people with Parkinson’s disease.¹

Other studies also suggest that blue light glasses improve sleep quality and duration.³ Others recommend stopping the use of devices before bedtime completely.⁴

2. Lessens Eye Strain

Looking at a screen all day can lead to eye strain. Blue light can also make it more challenging to focus on the screen. This can make your eyes strain to concentrate.

Blue light glasses may help reduce eye strain. They do this by increasing the contrast on your screen. This makes it easier to focus and reduces eye strain.

3. Reduces Risk of Eye Diseases

Wearing blue light glasses may help prevent the development of different eye diseases, such as macular degeneration and cataracts.

Your cornea and natural lens effectively block most UV light from reaching the retina. However, they cannot block blue light. Blue light filters improve your eye health.

4. Fewer Headaches

Blue light can trigger migraines and worsen headache pain.

Blocking blue light with special glasses may help lessen migraine attacks and reduce headache pain.

5. Allows You to Continue Using Digital Devices

If you’re not prepared to limit the use of your digital devices, blue light glasses may help you continue using them as usual. They reduce the effects of blue light on your eyes.

How to Reduce Digital Eye Strain

Digital eye strain is not caused by blue light. It’s caused by the ways we use our digital devices.

Here are some methods you can use to combat digital eye strain:

Maintain Proper Distance

Your computer screen should be an arm’s length away — approximately 25 inches, or at the point where your palm rests flat against the screen. The monitor should face slightly downward (about 15 to 20 degrees from your eye level to the center of the screen).

Sit Properly

Maintain good posture with your feet flat on the floor and back straight. Your chair should have a backrest. Relax your shoulders and keep your forearms flat with your wrists on the keyboard.

Place Reference Materials Properly

Using reference materials, such as textbooks, a notebook, or a second monitor, should be the same height as your monitor.

Blink Often

One of the biggest causes of digital eye strain is not blinking. When focusing on digital screens, our blink rate can be reduced by up to 50 percent. Blink as often as possible to reduce dry eye and other symptoms.

Reduce Glare

You can adjust your screen settings, buy anti-glare coatings, or ensure your computer screen is high-quality. This will reduce the amount of light reflected from your screen.

20-20-20 Rule

Every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. You should also rest your eyes for 15 minutes after every 2 hours of computer use. This helps prevent eye fatigue.

Increase Text Size

Reading small letters can strain your eyes and cause headaches. Increasing your font size can help combat this.

We suggest speaking with your local ophthalmologist if you are experiencing any digital eye strain symptoms.

Summary

Digital devices like computers, televisions, and phones emit blue light
The blue light emitted from these devices may not be enough to lead to eye or vision damage, even with long-term exposure
Further studies are required to confirm whether blue light emitted from digital devices is harmful
Blue light glasses may help with eye strain and other problems related to the eyes — but there is not enough research available to prove this
Either way, wearing blue light glasses won’t cause any damage to the eyes

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