Do you experience itchy and irritated eyes at the end of a long day in front of your computer screen? You are surely not the only one with such eye problems. Approximately 6 in 10 individuals experience symptoms of digital eye strain, also known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), after using a computer screen for more than 2 hours. Definitive symptoms of digital eye strain include headaches towards the end of the day, dry eye, frequent blinking of eyes with intermittent blurry vision. Wearing glasses with a blue-cut filter can help in reducing these symptoms to some extent.
Blue-cut or Blue-block glasses have a special coating that effectively absorbs and blocks harmful high-energy blue light from entering the eyes. These special lenses protect your eyes from the blue light from computer screens and smartphones. Blue-cut glasses can be an excellent addition to your existing eye health regimen if you work on a digital screen for at least two hours daily.
If you’re looking for the correct guidance on the best spectacle prescription in Mumbai, look no further than Iksha Eye Care, Mumbai.
How does blue light affect us?
The wavelength of blue light:
Blue light is a type of visible light on the light spectrum, and it has a relatively shorter wavelength of 415 to 455 nanometers. Because of this, blue light rays contain more energy than other light types called High Energy Visible (HEV) light which is responsible for causing eye strain.
Health-related effects of blue light from smartphones/tablets/computer screens etc
- Frequent blinking of eyes and intermittent blurring, which get worse as the day progresses
- Dry and itchy eyes
- Redness/watering/tendency to rub the eyes
- Eye tiredness
- Frequent headaches
- Sleep disturbances or difficulty in falling asleep
What likely benefits of wearing blue-cut lenses?
- Reduce eye strain especially accompanied by frequent intervals of the screen-free period (20 seconds) after every 20 minutes of screen time, popularly known as the 20-20-20 rule.
- Though blue light is present in the sun’s rays during the day, it is less pronounced around night, which is why sunsets appear red. The lack of blue light in the evening allows the body to produce melatonin freely (sleep hormone), signalling it is time to prepare for sleep. Exposure to blue light from electronic devices or artificial lighting after the sun has gone down can disrupt our circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep or get a good night’s rest. Blue-cut lenses help in the body’s release of melatonin (hormone) which helps induce sleep. As a recommendation, we should avoid using smartphones/computer screens at least 2 hours before bedtime.
- It can help delay the degenerative effects on the retina, which is yet to be proven by research.
How to choose the right blue-cut lens glasses?
Talk to your optometrist. If you need to know whether blue-cut lenses are right for you, schedule an appointment with the best optometrist in Mumbai. Your vision specialist will be able to evaluate the damage caused by blue light and discuss other types of eyewear that might be more appropriate for your lifestyle.
Some helpful tips to avoid digital eye strain –
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule with frequent short-duration breaks from the screen.
- Avoid eye rubbing
- Use good preservative-free lubricating eye drops, which can keep the tear film well distributed.
- Avoid using digital screens like smartphones at least 2 hours before sleep.
- Protect your eyes from over-exposure to blue light due to screen by using reputed blue light-blocking glasses.
