Visible light is more complicated than you can probably imagine. Turning on your computer (or another digital device), getting outdoors into the sunlight, and flipping on a wall switch outdoors can expose your eyes to an assortment of visible (and invisible) light rays. More often than not, these light rays have a wide range of adverse effects on your eyes. Staring at your computer for a whole day – for example – can make your eyes itchy, dry and red. If you’ve ever suffered from these problems, you need a pair of blue-light-filtering glasses that filter out the active blue light before it reaches your eyeballs.
So, what are blue-light filter glasses, and do we all need them? Blue Light Filtering Blue-light filter glasses are special eyeglasses that have a noticeable amber or yellow tint on their lenses designed to filter out all damaging light. We need these glasses for their lenses are effective at blocking out harmful light that would dramatically affect our eyes. Unlike blocking glasses, blue-light filtering glasses are useful because they are of better quality.
These types of glasses only filter out a certain portion of the detrimental light, allowing your body to maintain the natural circadian rhythm. Filtering glasses do not distort color in any way. You can wear them day or night while driving or working. Blue-Light Filter Glasses Effectiveness Blue-light filter glasses do not reflect a blue glare in images and have no negative drawbacks for individuals who work in graphics or video editing industries. They filter out 59 percent of the 445-460 blue light nanometer range. It is harmful to block out 100 percent of damaging light the whole day because this tends to harm your normal sleep patterns. Blocking all can cause other issues like waking, poor decision making, and inadequate alertness. We require access to at least 475 nanometers of blue light to maintain retinal health. Otherwise, we risk impairing our melanin production.
Do We Need Blue-Light Filter Glasses? Yes, we need them to filter out a small portion of blue light and not all of it. Not all blue light is bad as research has documented the importance of some blue light exposure when it comes to promoting good health. According to the study, high-energy visible light enhances alertness, elevates mood, and boosts memory as well as cognitive function. As a matter of fact, something known as light therapy helps to treat the seasonal affective disorder, abbreviated as SAD. SAD is a kind of depression that arises due to changes in seasons, with the fall marking the onset of symptoms which continue through winter.
This therapy emits bright white light that comprises a considerable amount of HEV blue rays of light. Furthermore, blue light exposure facilitates regular circadian rhythm – the human body’s natural sleep cycle and wakefulness. Exposure to blue light during the day proves helpful as far as maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm is concerned. However, too much bright light – especially late at night – can distort this cycle and cause sleepless night and daytime fatigue, and this is where blue-light filter glasses come into the picture.
