With the sudden transition of switching to virtual teaching and interactions with your dear students, there have been so many new lifestyle changes to get used to. One such major change has been teaching online. It’s not just the teaching that you’re having to do, but the meetings with department heads, checking homework as well as making teaching plans. This has undoubtedly been psychologically stressful but also seen your computer usage increase dramatically. Not only are we seated for so many hours, leading to stiff shoulders and necks but our eyes are also feeling the negative side effects! Keep reading to find out what you can do to maintain eye health and reduce your eye strain.
What is Blue Light?
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Blue light is a trending topic and creating a lot of buzz right now as many studies have demonstrated its negative effects on our bodies when we’re exposed to it for an extended period of time. Blue light is a high energy visible light that comes from the sun as well as digital devices. As we know, sunlight is made up of red, orange, yellow, green and blue light rays with different levels of energy and wavelengths. Blue light rays have short wavelengths, ie., between 380nm and 500nm and they get transmitted at high energy levels. Studies have found that blue light rays that reach a wavelength of between 415-455nm can cause irreversible retinal damage. This leads many to conclude that blue light could be extremely harmful to eye health as it penetrates through to the retina.
Pros and Cons of Blue Light
Our bodies need blue light to increase our attention spans, improve our memory & regulate our mood. Children also need a certain amount to maintain healthy eye development. However, blue light absorbed during evening hours can actually have a very negative effect on our body’s natural clock, aka our “circadian rhythm”. When there’s a decreasing amount of sunlight, ie., during the evening, our brain begins to produce a natural chemical called melatonin. This is what signals to our body that it is time to go to sleep. However, Harvard researchers conducted an experiment comparing the effects of 6.5 hours of exposure to blue light to exposure to green light of comparable brightness. The study found that blue light suppresses melatonin for about twice as long as the green light and shifted circadian rhythms by twice as much (3 hours vs. 1.5 hours). Too much exposure to blue light can cause damage to the light-sensitive cells in the retina. This leads to what resembles permanent loss in vision.
How to Limit Blue Light Exposure?
After an entire day of hard work on the computer, we don’t want to lose our sleep and let the tiredness build up. Luckily, this is where blue light blocking glasses step in. Leading eyewear retailer SmartBuyGlasses recently launched zFORT™ blue light block technology. This technology can block a portion of blue light wavelengths between 380 and 500nm from penetrating through your eyes.
So, how do Blue Light Blocking Glasses Work?
Scattering blue light prevents it from reaching your eye and potentially damaging your eye health. As a result, in the long run, this averts damage to the retina that could otherwise result in age-related macular degeneration.
We recommend wearing blue blockers all day for continued protection. If wearing glasses all day seems too daunting a task, the least you can do to protect your eyes is wear blue light blocking glasses during the evening when you’re using digital devices. Give it a try and see if you really do have a better night’s sleep! In addition, you’ll find that since you’re not experiencing digital eye strain, you might not even be getting as many headaches either. It’s the small things that improve our quality of everyday life, isn’t it? We could definitely use as much of it as possible this year!
So, even if you don’t have an eye prescription, you should consider a pair of blue blocker glasses. Here we’ve rounded up the best blue light blocking glasses:
Tom Ford FT5627-B Blue-Light Block
Reminiscent of Tony Stark’s look in Avengers Infinity War, these blue light blockers from Tom Ford are designed to scatter the blue light. They’re available in 4 colour options and this shape is great for those with round faces as it adds angles and dimensions.
Arise Collective Kingston Blue Light Lens
Arise Collective glasses are modern takes on classic eyeglass shapes. These are square-shaped, making them a great choice for those who want to chisel their faces and define their faces.
Quay Australia QW-000262 JEZABELL /V
Quay Australia is very famous for its trendy sunglasses, but being a modern brand caring about today’s needs, they make some of the best blue light blocking glasses. Check out these gold frames made of metal. It’s great for a chic look while protecting your vision.
SmartBuy Collection Tempe Blue-Light Block Asian Fit 790C
These glasses are a classic pilot shaped style, sure to suit those who are looking to add softness to their face and protect their eyes from blue light. They’re made of metal and hence, quite sturdy and durable.
These blue light blocking reading glasses by Gunnar are suitable for those who wear reading glasses while using digital devices. You can rest assured that you’ll not only be harming your eyes
If you are concerned about the blue light you are exposed to everyday, consider checking out blue light blocking glasses at large e-retailers such as SmartBuyGlasses who offer blue block glasses for every budget and every style with best price guarantee.