How Blue Light Exposure Affects Our Health
As we are living in an age where digital technology is all around us, it is good to be aware of the risks when it comes to your vision and health in general. Most of us spend more than two hours a day looking at screens, from our mobile phones and computer devices to our smart TVs! These LED screens emit excessive amounts of blue light which produce harmful effects on your eyes. We have outlined some of the ways in which blue light negatively impacts our overall health.
Headaches and Migraines
Perhaps the most common way that blue light affects our health is by inducing headaches and migraines after too much exposure. While bright light does cause some irritation, blue light can cause very painful migraine attacks.
Disruption to Sleep
Exposure to blue light is a sure way to rob you of a good night’s sleep, wreaking havoc on your sleep schedule and body clock. This is because the blue light emitted from your screen suppresses melatonin production which disrupts your sleep, prompting an array of different health problems.
The disruption to your sleep can impair your memory and make you distracted for the following day. It also makes it more difficult to learn and the long-term effect from sleep disruption caused by blue light exposure is a build-up of neurotoxins that make it even harder to get a proper night of sleep!
Mental and Physical Conditions
When your melatonin levels are suppressed and your body clock is out of sync with a normal, healthy routine you are far more prone to mental conditions like depression and anxiety.
This disruption to your melatonin levels may also affect your hormones which can influence hunger and increase your chances of obesity.
Research is even being conducted now to discover whether or not exposure to blue light could possibly result in cataracts. Some believe there is also a connection between disrupted sleep from exposure and an increased risk of certain cancers such as breast and prostate cancer.
Damage to the Retina
Finally, a major effect of blue light exposure on your health is the damage that it can cause to your retina, which in turn contributes to other eye disorders. Further research is required to determine the extent of the damage to the retina but evidence exists indicating that this is one of the repercussions.
How Can I Protect My Vision?
The View Crew recommend that you try to reduce your screen time and limit the level of exposure to digital blue light, especially if you find yourself experiencing any of the above symptoms or conditions.
If you are being prescribed glasses by your optometrist and you are aware that you spend more than two hours a day in front of digital screens, we also recommend that you discuss your screen habits with your eye care professional and aim to get glasses which have a blue-blocking filter in the lenses that will reduce eye strain, fatigue and avoid other harmful effects.