Do your eyes ever feel tired and dry after staring at a screen all day? You’re not alone. Digital screens emit blue light, which can lead to impaired vision. The reason for this is that blue light penetrates all the way to the retina. Too much exposure can lead to eye strain, dry eye syndrome and possibly even macular degeneration.
This is where blue light glasses come into the picture. These glasses feature tinted lenses with anti-glare protection from blue light. You can wear these glasses when you work on a computer, play on your smartphone or watch TV on your tablet. The claim is that blue light glasses may improve symptoms of computer vision syndrome (CVS) and retinal damage.
The top question retina specialists in NY are hearing is: Do blue light glasses really work? Or is it just a placebo effect? Let’s find out.
Blue Light Lenses: More Hype than Anything
Blue light blocking glasses have special lenses that block or filter out blue light. By wearing these glasses, you might feel like your eyes are protected. However, many issues caused by digital screens aren’t from blue light. Instead, they’re from CVS or digital eye strain.
When you use digital devices, your eyes are constantly shifting focus and moving around the screen. Add this to your computer’s glare and contrast and it’s no surprise why your eyes feel tired and sore. So, your eye discomfort isn’t from the blue light per say, but rather from looking at a digital screen all day.
Furthermore, there isn’t a lot of research into blue light lenses at this time, so we don’t have any concrete evidence as to whether or not they really work. For now, we have to go by what other people say.
Why Do People Swear By Blue Light Glasses?
Blue light blocking glasses have a great reputation for reducing eye strain. Could all of these people be wrong?
Not necessarily. Some retina specialists in NYC say that blue light lenses do have benefits for people who are on a computer 6+ hours a day. Because some type of blue light reduction is important for these people, blue light glasses come in handy.
These speciality glasses can also help people work longer into the day because they block blue light, which holds back the body’s melatonin production. Whether people choose to squeeze in extra work or watch videos, they can do so while being able to fall asleep later.
Summary
In the end, there is no harm to wearing blue light glasses. They may offer some relief from digital eye strain, but don’t expect them to be an end-all be-all solution. To help your eyes relax, it’s best to follow the 20-20-20 rule, sit about arm’s length from the computer and use lubricating eye drops. Here are some additional tips for reducing digital eyestrain.