More and more people have decided to buy blue light glasses, with the hope that they will block the harmful blue light emmitted from devices like phones, tablets and computers.
Optometrist Michael Dunn said people commonly know of the blue light that is emitted from our electronic devices, but we are exposed to it in other ways as well.
“All of the new light fixtures, florescent lights, LED lights, all of those have way too much blue light,” Dunn said.
Dunn said he occasionally would speak to his patients about blue light, but over the past few years, he said he always includes a blue light blocker in his prescriptions.
“Almost everyone when they buy glasses they get the ultraviolet filter added on to the lenses,” Dunn said. “And the blue violet should be in every one’s glasses right along with the UV filter.”
One of the biggest concerns with blue light, is macular degeneration. Dunn said the more exposure to blue light, your macular, which allows your eye to see detail, deterriorates.
“When we deal with people with macular degeneration,” Dunn said. “It looks like they just looked at a flash bulb as it went off.”
Roger Berset, owner of Optical Design, said having a blue light filter in glasses is an extra add on, but that could change in the future.
“I’m assuming that in another year or two, all lenses will block the UV and ultraviolet and the newer higher radation of the blue light,” Berset said.
Since the glasses only block around 30 percent of the blue light, Dunn said there are some other things you can do to lower your exposure to the light.
“First try to be as far away from your screen as you can,” Dunn said. “And try not to be staring at your screen for more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time and then take a break.”
