What is Blue Light?

What is Blue Light?

By Tim Mak Licenced Optician

Have you ever wondered why in the 21st Century, on coming traffic headlights look like a giant star burst instead of just a normal light? Or why you have problems go- ing to sleep at night after watching tv or playing on your smart phone? This has all to do with blue light. You may be asking yourself right now, what is blue light? Blue Light, or more specifically High Energy Visible Light (HEV) is a portion of the light spectrum and it is everywhere. Blue light actually represents about a third of all visible light. Blue light is the same, whether it’s coming from the sun or a smartphone, the difference is the intensi- ty and exposure. All Digital devices and even head lights emit blue light but it doesn’t match the inten- sity of sunlight. Can blue light cause permanent damage to the eyes?Yes, it can, but major eye diseases such as Macular Degeneration or cataracts are not likely to be affected. Blue light has been proven to cause disruption in your sleep, mostly because it confused our eyes to think that it is still day light. I recommend either using “night mode” on your phone or just take a break from your phone before bed. How can we protect ourselves from blue light?We can easily protect our eyes from blue light with a proper blue light filter on our glasses. Ask your local optician, or come see us at EyeTech VisionCare (705) 760-9693.