Blue light glasses are a great way to protect your eyes from the high-energy visible (HEV) light that is emitted from artificial light sources and the sun.
Licensed Optician, Stefan Mayer, walks us through some of the common questions around digital protection, and how blue light filtering glasses provide three times more capability to filtering blue-violet light than standard glasses with clear lenses.
But first, let’s understand what blue light is and the effects of it.
Jump to a section:
- What is blue light?
- How does this affect our eye health?
- Why choose blue light lenses?
- How do blue light filtering glasses work?
- Do I need to have prescription to use blue light filtering lens technology?
- Are blue light lenses available with progressive prescriptions?
- 3 steps to buying blue light glasses at Clearly
What is blue light?
Known as HEV light, blue-violet light is of a shorter wavelength (from 400 to 450 nm) compared to other strains of light. The shorter the wavelength, the more energy the light contains.
You may be familiar with very short wavelength light in the form of ultraviolet (UV) light. UV light can burn your skin or eyes as it has so much energy. Blue light contains less, but still contains a considerable amount of energy.
Your eyes need some blue light to see well. We’re exposed to blue light naturally from the sun, but artificial blue light sources add to your blue light exposure during the day.
How does this affect our eye health?
Blue light filtering lenses help to reduce oxidative stress on retinal tissue, which helps to preserve retinal health over the long term.
Some studies show that too much exposure to blue light* can increase the risk of retinal cell damage. *blue-violet light is between 400 and 455nm as stated by ISO TR20772-2018.
(ISO: International Standards Organization – “Ophthalmic optics – Spectacles lenses – Short Wavelength visible solar radiation and the eye, FD ISO/TR 20772”)
Remember, if you’re experiencing symptoms, a comprehensive eye exam with your Eye Care Professional will help to ensure that you don’t have any underlining eye health issues (and is something that we should all being doing about once a year!).
Why choose blue light lenses?
Blue light lenses, such as BlueReflect™ and BlueReflect Plus™, help filter out UV and blue-violet light emitted from the sunlight and artificial light sources.
Some types of blue light can be beneficial and help improve your mood, cognitive function, and memory. However, certain strains of blue-violet light may have a negative impact on the eyes, specifically the retina.
BlueReflect™ blue light lenses offer a protective shield for long hours of work or relaxing.
How do blue light filtering glasses work?
Blue-violet light is the lower end of the visible spectrum and covers wavelengths from 400-455 nm, which is considered potentially harmful. This type of light is prevalent in sunlight and many artificial light sources.
While blue light also has healthy rays (blue-turquoise) that are important for us to be exposed to, BlueReflect™ blue light lenses specifically target HEV strains of blue-violet light.
These lenses both reflect and filter blue-violet and UV, which can be worn as your regular glasses for all your routine activities, indoors and outdoors.
Do I need to have prescription to use blue light filtering lens technology?
@kearachung
No, you can add BlueReflect™ blue light lenses to any Clearly frames, without a prescription. You can also wear these glasses over your contact lenses.
This doesn’t mean you should skip your eye exam, which as adults we should all be doing with a licensed Eye Care Professional about once a year.
If you do require a corrective power please make sure that you do have a valid prescription provided by your Eye Care Professional.
Are blue light lenses available with progressive prescriptions?
Yes, you can add BlueReflect™ blue light lenses to your multifocal prescription and they are available as an advanced thin option.
These ‘no line’ progressives allow greater prescription accuracy for those requiring the combination of far (television, driving), near (reading) and intermediate (such as smartphones, tablets, and computer use) distances with a built-in BlueReflect™ coating.
3 steps to buying blue light glasses at Clearly
@itslindamensah
1. Select your frame. Choose any frame from our extensive selection. Use our handy search filters to find the perfect fitting pair.
2. Enter your prescription. After you’ve chosen your frames, click on the ‘Add lenses’ button. Then, enter your prescription. If you don’t have a prescription, enter zero in all fields or click the “I want lenses without a prescription” link.
3. Select your digital protection lenses. Select the ‘Digital Protection Lenses’ option, and choose the type of lenses that are best suited for you and your lifestyle.
Before you go
We hope that we’ve helped you understand what blue light is and how blue light glasses can help your eyes relax during screen time. Head over to our page to learn more about the blue light lenses products that we have to offer at Clearly.
If you’re not sure which type of lens is suitable for you, call our Customer Service team at 1-800-639-478 for assistance. You can also contact us via email or live chat.
Source
Published in the peer-reviewed journal PlosOne in 2013: (Arnault, Barrau et al., PlosOne, 2013). https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0071398, Published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell Death and Disease (Impact factor ~6). (Marie et al., Cell Death and Disease, 2018) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41419-018-0331-5
