Do You Need a Pair of Blue Light Glasses?

Ever since the Covid19 pandemic, screens have become a significant part of our work and social lives, with adults reportedly spending up to 11hours on their devices while teens, an average of 8hours daily, increasing our exposure to blue light.

If your eyes have ever felt tired or dry, and you got worried about the effects of staring at a device or computer screen for prolonged periods, then the chances are that you must have heard about blue light and searched on how to protect your eyes from it.

What are blue light glasses?

Blue light glasses are protective wears that are specifically designed to filter out blue light and effectively block the transmission of a range of wavelengths emitted from devices. It blocks some of the high-energy blue light emitted from smartphones, computers, TV, and light bulbs.

Blue light glasses are sometimes called blue light blocking glasses or blue light filter glasses. Other times, they're just simply called blue blockers.

Who should wear blue light glasses?

 Before we answer that, take a look at this daily routine, any chance it looks similar to yours?

6:00 am – You wake up to an alarm likely from your phone and immediately begin to search it.

6:05 am – Time to see all the messages and notifications you missed while asleep.

6:15 am – Check what's trending on Twitter. Scroll through your Instagram feed and Facebook timeline.

8:30 am – Off to work where you turn on the computer and stare until your lunch break.

Noon – At lunch, you take a break to reply to chats from friends and watch some funny videos on TikTok or youtube.

1 pm – In between work tasks, you take an opportunity to check in on social media.

5 pm – Back home, you relax and watch maybe one or two of your favorite TV shows or movies.

9 pm – Bedtime,  play at least one level of your favorite game, or simply just scroll through your Instagram feed one more time before you go to bed.

Ok, maybe you don't stare at your screens all day, but part of that routine fits your lifestyle pattern. If that's the case, you would be right to consider getting a pair of blue light glasses.

 A survey carried out by the Vision Council of America stated that about 65% of Americans being surveyed experience some symptoms of eye strain due to a prolonged time in front of a computer screen or mobile device. 

The following category of people should consider getting a pair of blue-light glasses:

1. An Office worker who has no choice but to face a computer screen all day for work
2. A Digital Gamer who stares at a screen for days
3. Biologically Sensitive People who are vulnerable to glare and eye disease (notes: need advice from doctors before using an anti-blue-light filter)
4. Night Owls who tend to stay up late or have sleep problems and anxiety
5. Children/Teenagers who are addicted to digital devices and still in the development stage, especially their eyes.

While an extended time spent on digital screens can expose us to the side effects of blue light, we are more prone to blue light exposure during the day while we are out and under the sunlight.

When to wear blue light glasses

Knowing that we can be exposed to blue light through digital screens or the sunlight and the importance of blue light glasses in protecting our eyes, we are left with one question that begs to be answered; “When do we wear blue light glasses?”

Since the risk of exposure to blue light can occur indoors and outdoors, the usage of blue light glasses as a form of protection can then be categorized into two parts:

1. Indoors (Screen Time)

• When spending extended time on the computer screen.
• While scrolling through your smartphone (especially at night)
• During an extended exposure to LED and TV.

1. Outdoor

Ultimately, we know that the blue light produced by the sun is more harmful than the ones emitted from a digital screen, therefore we are expected to protect ourselves when carrying out certain outdoor activities like:

• Swimming
• Gardening
• Walking
• Jogging
• Cycling

How to choose your blue light glasses?

Simply knowing when to use blue light glasses isn't enough. You also need to know what kind of blue light glasses would fit your persona and lifestyle.

There are several factors required to consider how to choose blue light glasses, some of which include:

1. Type of Activity: Because there are blue light glasses exclusively made for indoor or outdoor activities and also double use, determining the kind of activity you engage in, is highly essential when choosing your blue light glasses. Contest Code：LIVHO1

Does your daily activity/routine require that you spend most of your time outdoor exposed to the sunlight or indoors,  where you spend a long time staring at your screen? Or do you spend commensurate time doing both?

It should be noted that anti-blue-light glasses, either in clear lenses or yellow-tinted, are designed typically for blocking blue light from the screen or LED. If you are looking for a pair to both avoid blue light indoors and reduce dazzle or  UV rays outdoors, there are some double-use blue light glasses. Such double-use blue light glasses will have their unique materials than normal ones, it is suggested to ask customer service to choose if you have different needs.

2. Length of Screen Time:when you know how long your screen time usage amounts to, it becomes easy to determine what percentage of blocking blue light is required.

For instance, it's principal to wear blue light blocking glasses with a lower level filter, say 30% when outside, to ensure you absorb enough blue light to avoid side effects, including mood disorders. Properly block blue light indoors with lenses that filter 60% or more.  The more time you spend on screen, the higher percentage of blocking blue light your anti-blue-light lenses need.

Using these lenses while looking at screens at night will ensure the best possible results.

3. Prescription Glasses User:an individual who already uses prescription glasses would only need to add a blue light filter to the prescribed glasses or simply purchase a new prescription in anti-blue-light lenses.

What’s more, it is of importance to consider the material of anti-blue-light lenses because some of these lenses are usually yellow-tinted and could influence  vision.

4. People with eye-related diseases should first consult their optometristabout whether it is appropriate for them to wear blue light blocking glasses.

It is safer to avoid harmful exposure to blue light than to try to fight its effects.

Bearing that in mind, here are more helpful tips to reduce the harmful effects of blue light;

• Spend less time with digital devices if possible
• Change the light settings on your device to warm light settings
• Avoid the use of digital devices at night
• Use dim red lights at night. Red light, when used as night lights, allows the body to  produce melatonin naturallyand also preserve night vision
• Practice the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutesyou're using a digital screen, look at an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

The potency of blue light glasses against the effects of blue light is being debated. However, blue light glasses have been known to help provide a refreshing feeling after a long day of staring at screens.

Maintaining your eyesight is an essential aspect of maintaining total and complete well-being. Always consult your eye care professional to verify if a blue light lens/glasses are right for you or even required.