Blue Light Glasses
November 23, 2021 by Sophia Ofer
We’ve probably all seen the trend of blue light glasses in this time where so many of us spend the whole day staring at a screen. What even are blue light glasses, and how are they supposed to work?
The visible light spectrum is the section of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum that humans can see. Blue Light is on the very end of that spectrum and is a high-energy visible light (HEV). This means its wavelength is shorter and therefore produces the most energy. This light is emitted from the sun as well as screens. There are many claims that blue light can change the retina and cause Age-Related Macular Degeneration or other conditions, but those are mainly unsupported. The claim behind blue light glasses is that they are able to protect the retina by filtering and blocking out harmful light waves.
During the pandemic, nearly every aspect of our lives became digital, and the curiosity around blue light glasses rose. And while prolonged exposure to blue light may not cause as much damage to the retina, excessive screen time can cause tremendous eye strain. Spending too long looking at computers can result in headaches and trouble sleeping. This eye strain is not completely attributed to blue light, more so that people blink less when looking at screens so their eyes get dry.
Though the glasses don’t do any harm as far as I could find, blue light glasses have not been proven to help with eye conditions and strain (as they claim to do), and they are unregulated by the FDA. So while a pair definitely doesn’t hurt, there is little evidence that blue-light glasses provide any type of support or relief if you are struggling from eye strain or eye conditions related to the retina.