Remember ROY G BIV? That guy who…. No, no! It’s the rainbow! Red, Orange, Yellow (or as my 2-year-old son Maks says “ya ya”), Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. Since you can see things that are blue, like Mr. ROY, blue Light is part of the Visible Spectrum. Blue Light is also emitted by digital devices, so when Maks wants to play on the iPad, we need to limit that time. Have you tried the word “No” with a 2-year-old? It is like saying NO to a terrorist negotiation, there are tears, screaming, falling down to the floor and rolling around… and Maks may get upset too; but, I digress. According to consumer reports, on average we spend 40 hours per week, or more with these digital devices. As a result, our exposure to Blue Light adds up quickly.
In addition to electronics, Blue Light may be emitted by both indoor and outdoor lighting. Sunlight provides the biggest exposure outdoors, while indoors we are exposed to more and more LED and other energy-efficient lights, which are all sources of Blue Light exposure. That cumulative exposure continues to compound over time.
Chronic use of digital devices such as computers, cell phones, tablets; the stuff you use all day eevvvvrrrryyyy day if you don’t live under a rock; may affect your overall health, especially your eyes and vision. Both the front part of the eye, that acts as a windshield; as well as the back part of the eye that includes structures that provide your central and best vision; are negatively impacted by Blue Light. In fact, Blue Light is a major risk factor for conditions such as cataracts, which is a cloudiness of the natural lens in the eyes; and macular degeneration, which is a degradation of central vision. If you work in IT, accounting, engineering, law, architecture, gaming, or if you are a student or anyone exposed to any prolonged computer work, or if you live in this century and are NOT a Senator asking Mark Zuckerberg questions, you are even more susceptible to continued and cumulative Blue Light exposure.
What can you do to protect both the health of your eyes and your vision?
1. Blue Light Filters in your glasses. Did you know that most Blue Light filters provided by eye glasses manufacturers block out the Blue Light by simply bouncing the Blue Light off the lens? At best this only eliminates about 20% of the Blue Light coming through the glasses to reach your eyes. That means 80 % of the Blue Light is still reaching your eyes. The technology used at Theia Vision Care to create the lenses for your eye glasses, absorbs the Blue Light rather than simply blocking it. This means that over 80% of the Blue Light is eliminated, before it has a chance to reach your eyes and damage the cornea, retina and lens. Come in and ask us for a demonstration! Also, at Theia Vision Care when you purchase our best anti-glare coating for your glasses we include that best Blue Light Technology Filter. Wait for it… FREE! For serious! Even those who may not need glasses to see clearly, may benefit greatly from clear, lenses WITHOUT a prescription, that have an anti-glare coating with a Blue Light filter. Call 262-361-0022 to find out if this is a good option for you or your child. Elementary school, middle school, high school, college and grad students can all benefit greatly from this technology. Both the anti-glare coating and the filters we use in our eye glasses at Theia Vision Care, are terrific tools in battling Computer Vision Syndrome. Visit our blog again next week for a discussion of Computer Vision Syndrome and what you can do to feel better immediately.
2. Want to help nourish your eyes on a daily basis? Eat some dark green leafy veggies such as spinach, kale, broccoli, collared-greens. Make a Big A$$ Salad or throw them in a soup, stew or a smoothie, or add them as a side to your dinner. Over time, the Lutein and Zeaxanthin found in those veggies act to protect your central vision from the damaging Blue Light emitted by digital devices, sunlight and; indoor and outdoor lights. When you obtain the nutrients and vitamins from the food you eat, rather than a pill, you also get the added bonus of other nutrients and vitamins found in those veggies keeping your peepers and the rest of your body happy and healthy. Yum and Cheers to that!!!!!