What do blue light glasses do?
Blue light glasses filter some of the high-energy blue-violet light emitted from electronic devices like smartphones, computers and TVs. Even your average indoor light bulb can give off blue light.
Blue light glasses go by a few different names. You might hear them called blue light blocking glasses or blue light filter glasses. Sometimes, they're just called blue blockers. Even though many types of blue light glasses are called ‘blue-light blocking,’ it’s more accurate to say that they filter light.
Could you benefit from blue light filtering glasses? Let's find out.
SEE RELATED: How computer glasses are different
How blue light filtering glasses work
When something produces light, different colors vibrate at different wavelengths. The blue-violet light is called high energy visible (HEV) light. That's the part that most closely resembles the sun's potentially damaging blue light.
Naturally, artificial blue light is much weaker than the sun's blue light. But the average American now spends so much of their time indoors in front of digital screens that the lower rate of exposure starts to add up.
"The average time on devices and in front of screens for adults is pushing 11 hours per day, and as such, our eyes are under a lot of digital light strain," said Dr. Sheri Rowen, an ophthalmologist and member of the Eyesafe Vision Health Advisory Board.
Blue light glasses filter a percentage of this light with a special coating that reflects some of the blue light away from your eyes. It’s important to note that blue light glasses typically filter blue-violet light, which is higher energy, but not blue-turquoise light, which impacts sleep/wake cycles. How high the percentage and the type of blue light that is filtered depends on which glasses you buy.
Some blue light glasses have a yellow tint, while others look clear. Typically, lenses that look more yellowed tend to filter more blue light than their clearer counterparts.
"The best first step is to consult with an eye care professional who will help ascertain your needs for protection," Rowen said. This will ensure your blue light glasses filter the correct type of blue light for your desired purpose.
SEE RELATED: Blue light can be good and bad
