Seeing Blue: How Blue Light Can Affect Your Health
Social media scrolling and swiping. reading work reports on your laptop while watching TV.
Most of us undoubtedly spend a lot of time staring at devices. This could be detrimental to our eyes. Electronic device blue light has been related to issues like cataracts, macular degeneration, dry eyes, blurred vision, and eyestrain. Some people have trouble sleeping. What you should know is as follows.
What Is Blue Light?
It’s one of several colors in the visible light spectrum. The others are:
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet
Together, they create the white light you see when the sun shines, which is the primary source of blue light, and you may recognize them by the abbreviation ROY G BIV. Also generating blue light are fluorescent and LED light bulbs.
In the visible light spectrum, each color has a unique wavelength and energy level. Compared to other colors, blue light has shorter wavelengths and more energy. According to certain studies, short-wave blue light with wavelengths between 415 and 455 nanometers is associated with eye damage. On smartphones, TVs, and tablets, LEDs produce the majority of their light at wavelengths between 400 and 490 nanometers.
Blue Light and Your Eyes
High-energy sunlight in big doses, such as UV and blue rays, can increase your chance of developing eye diseases. The question of whether blue light from digital screens is detrimental has been raised as a result. Further study is required.
According to experts, 50% of computer users experience digital eyestrain, often known as computer vision syndrome. Vision blurring and dry, itchy eyes are symptoms.
Your retinas may also be harmed by blue light. Phototoxicity is what that is. Damage amounts are influenced by exposure duration and wavelength. Even little exposure (a few minutes to many hours) may be detrimental, according to animal research. There is evidence that less harm is done by a filter that blocks 94% of blue light.
There is evidence that blue light may cause long-term eyesight problems. Virtually all blue light travels directly to the retina's back. According to certain studies, blue light may raise the risk of the retinal disease macular degeneration.
According to research, blue light exposure may cause AMD, or age-related macular degeneration. According to one study, photoreceptor cells emit harmful chemicals in response to blue light. This harm results in potential AMD damage.
Blue Light and Sleep
Sleep problems are associated with screen time, particularly at night. Your circadian rhythm, or sleep cycle, is disrupted by the blue light from electronic devices. When your brain should be winding down, it sends impulses to wake up. According to one study, melatonin secretion was reduced or stopped after just two hours of nighttime exposure to blue light. It may be beneficial to turn off your electronic gadgets at least three hours before night.
Blue Light and Cancer
Exposure to blue light may increase your risk of developing some malignancies. According to one study, those who work the night shift are more likely to get colon, prostate, and breast malignancies.
Blue Light and Kids
Blue light isn't filtered as well by a child's eyes as it is by yours. Too much of it from gadget screens may increase their risk of being obese, developing nearsightedness, and experiencing attention deficit disorders. It might make their body release melatonin at night even more slowly than yours does. Limit your child's screen time for their eyes. Also, instruct children to put away any handheld gaming devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Blue Light and Mental Health
Blue light exposure at night has been associated in animal studies to depression symptoms. Yet, blue light exposure during the daytime can have the opposite impact. SAD, also known as seasonal affective disorder, has been treated with it. The type of seasonal depression is linked to the change in seasons. According to research, 20 minutes of blue light exposure in the morning can reduce the symptoms of SAD.
SOURCES:
Prevent Blindness: “Your Sight.”
International Journal of Ophthalmology: “Research progress about the effect and prevention of blue light on eyes.”
BMJ Open Ophthalmology: “Digital eye strain: prevalence, measurement and amelioration.”
PLOS One: “Removal of the blue component of light significantly decreases retinal damage after high intensity exposure.”
American Macular Degeneration Foundation: “Ultra-violet and Blue Light Aggravate Macular Degeneration.”
Scientific Reports: “Blue light excited retinal intercepts cellular signaling.”
Chronobiology International: “Systematic review of light exposure impact on human circadian rhythm.”
University of Washington: “Is Blue Light the Bad Guy?”
Epidemiology: “Association Between Outdoor Light-at-night Exposure and Colorectal Cancer in Spain.”
Environmental Health Perspectives: “Evaluating the Association between Artificial Light-at-Night Exposure and Breast and Prostate Cancer Risk in Spain (MCC-Spain Study).”
Nature Neuroscience: “A circadian rhythm-gated subcortical pathway for nighttime-light-induced depressive-like behaviors in mice.”
Procedia Manufacturing: “Blue Light: A Blessing or a Curse?”
Journal of Affective Disorders: “The effects of blue-enriched light treatment compared to standard light treatment in seasonal affective disorder.”
Cleveland Clinic: “Are LED Lights Damaging Your Retina?”
Physiological Reports: “Melatonin suppression and sleepiness in children exposed to blue-enriched white LED lighting at night.”
Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America: “Youth screen media habits and sleep: sleep-friendly screen-behavior recommendations for clinicians, educators, and parents."
UC Davis Health: “Is blue light from your cell phone, TV bad for your health?
American Academy of Ophthalmology: “Digital Devices and Your Eyes.”
Comments