Blue Light Glasses
What is blue light?
Blue light is short wavelength and high energy light that makes up part of the visible colour spectrum human eyes can see. The sun is our main and natural source of blue light but we are also exposed to it from computer monitors, smartphone screens, tablets, flat screen televisions, and LED lights.
While the sun produces significantly more blue light than electronic sources, we are exposing ourselves to artificial light for longer periods of time and at much closer distances with our digital devices. This can cause digital eye strain because blue light scatters more easily than most other visible light.
Exposure to too much artificial blue light, especially at night, may lead to difficulty falling asleep, poor sleep quality, and daytime fatigue. Good sleep is essential for focus, memory, mood, and general well-being.
Symptoms of digital eye strain
- Dry or watery eyes
- Tired eyes
- Difficulty focusing
- Drowsiness or heavy eyelids
- Sore or itchy eyes
- Headache
- Blurry or double vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Mental and physical fatigue
- Neck, shoulder, or back pain
How does a blue light filter work?
Our blue light filter is embedded in the lenses of your glasses and blocks the full spectrum of blue light from passing through the lens and into your eyes.
You can add a Blue Light Filter onto any new pair of optical glasses for $49.
Tips for reducing digital eye strain
Besides investing in blue light blocking computer glasses, here are some other tips to reduce digital eye strain.
If you are experiencing symptoms of digital eye strain, book an appointment to make sure you have the most up to date glasses prescription and rule out other underlying issues that could cause your symptoms. There are a variety of lens types to help keep your eyes relaxed in front of screens and even if you don’t require a prescription for your near vision, you may benefit from computer glasses.
Most digital devices like smartphones and computers allow you to adjust the screen setting to make it warmer (therefore reducing blue light) or use dark mode to reduce eye strain.
Many smartphones will allow you to set a screen time limit for yourself or for children who use your phone. The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends no screen time for children younger than age 2, except to video chat with family. For children 2-5 years old, 1 hour or less of sedentary screen time per day, and for children older than 5, 2 hours or less per day.
We know this is easier said than done, but limiting your exposure to blue light before bed will allow you a more restful sleep.
For every 20 minutes of near work, look 20 feet away, for 20 seconds. This will help relax the focusing system of the eyes. Use this opportunity to stretch to prevent muscle soreness.
On average, we blink 12 to 15 times per minute but when we focus on things like screens, our blink rate decreases to about 4 times per minute. Less blinking can lead to dry, itchy, and red eyes. Using a lubricating eye drop a few times per day can relieve these dry eye symptoms. Be sure to check the label for a contact-lens safe brand if you wear contacts.
Using a warm compress with I-Relief hot & cold therapy eye mask can also improve dry eye symptoms. This mask can also be used as a cold compress for puffy eyelids due to poor sleep or allergies.
Arrange your workstation to minimize awkward and frequently performed movements. You should be able to work with a neutral posture to minimize postural demands. Computer monitors should be directly in front of you, at eye level, and at least an arm’s length away. Tilt the monitor or adjust lighting to avoid glare. Uniform lighting and good light positioning can minimize glare and visual fatigue. If possible, avoid working from a laptop as laptop computers are not ergonomically designed for prolonged use.