Have you wondered why do people use blue light blocking contacts? Do you know if blue light glasses are safe to use with contact lenses? Living in the age of technology, it is impossible to avoid staring at a screen for hours on end. Even after work, most of us would relax on the couch for a movie night. You even have a screen in your pocket that is constantly calling for your attention.
All of these screens are shining blue eyes straight into our eyes. So, it begs the question, should we protect our eyes from the blue light that is glaring from our screens? And for us contact lovers, can we safely use blue light glasses without taking our contacts off?
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Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
What Exactly Is Blue Light?
You may remember a little about electromagnetic waves from science class back at school. It is the magic behind wi-fi, radio, and even medical X-ray. Sound waves and visible light are also a part of the electromagnetic wave spectrum.
The thing that determines what an electromagnetic wave does is its frequency. The extremely high frequency of gamma radiation can damage living things. On the opposite end, low-frequency waves help you connect to your internet wirelessly.
Believe it or not, the color of light is also decided by its frequency. Within the spectrum of visible light, red has the lowest frequency. Blue light, on the other hand, has high energy waves, just slightly less powerful than UV waves. Blue light blocking contact lens or blue light filter contact lens are made to block this frequency.
Why Is Blue Light Dangerous?
The idea of light being a danger to our health is not new. We are often warned about the dangers of the sun’s ultraviolet light to our health. Ultraviolet light’s high energy waves can cause skin damage, premature aging, melanoma, and other types of skin cancer. Isaac Newton even temporarily blinded himself in an experiment by staring at the sun with one eye.
The electromagnetic energy of blue and violet lights is not as powerful as UV waves, but only just. Experts think that blue light is responsible for many common health issues.
Blue light can disrupt the production of melatonin which regulates our sleep. It has also been linked to retinal phototoxicity whereby our retinas are damaged by light. In fact, high exposure to blue light has even been linked to the development of cancers. Many people choose to wear blue light filter glasses or contact lens to protect themselves from these dangers.
How Are We Exposed to Blue Light?
Blue light comes from a variety of sources. Most of the blue light we receive actually comes right from the Sun. However, we don’t spend our days staring at the Sun like Isaac Newton. In fact, for the modern person, there is a possibility that we are getting not enough Sun exposure. LED light bulbs produce a fair amount of blue light compared to incandescent or even fluorescent light.
However, the most worrisome sources of blue light are the screens we stare at night and day. You are likely reading this article on one of the blue light emitting screens. Whether it’s your smartphone or your tablet or even your computer, your devices are constantly shining blue light straight into your eyes.
You may have experienced eye discomfort or vision problems after viewing a digital screen for hours on end. 65% of Americans report experiencing computer vision syndrome. For most of us, it is simply impossible to live our lives screen-free. And this is especially true during the Covid-19 pandemic when need to communicate through virtual means.
Blue light blocking glasses are designed to filter out most blue lights from entering your eyes. This can help reduce the potential damage blue light poses to the eyes. While research on blue light blocking glasses is still new, one by the SPIE suggests that blue light filtering lenses may reduce computer vision syndrome.
If you cannot avoid prolonged screen time, these blue light glasses, along with good eyecare habits and techniques may alleviate your symptoms. These glasses can give you the peace of mind to work, play, and connect safely and comfortably.
Can You Wear Blue Light Blocking Glasses with Contact Lens?
Blue light blocking glasses are perfectly safe for use with contact lenses. Whether your contact lenses are cosmetic or prescriptive (or even both!), using blue light glasses would not cause any issues whatsoever.
However, keep in mind that you should not stack your prescription. If either your glasses or your contacts have prescription lenses, then the other should be non-prescription. Otherwise, this can affect your vision correction.
Can You Use Blue Light Blocking Contacts Instead?
If you are not comfortable with wearing glasses, there is a better alternative. Blue light blocking contact lenses like BluSafe protects your eyes against harmful blue light and UV radiation. They also come in a variety of powers so you can forgo the inconvenience of using glasses. Being a monthly disposable contact, you can also save money and reduce waste by using only one every month.
However, not everyone is willing to go the extra length to clean and care for their contacts. If you’re more of a daily disposable user, FreshKon Daily Blue Shield may be the choice for you. This blue light filter contact lens also comes with a wide choice of vision correction. Its slim design and the addition of Hyaluronic Acid (HA) make for comfortable wear all day long.
Conclusion
High energy blue light may be all around us. However, our digital screens are highways that direct blue light straight into our eyes. And in the technological era, we simply cannot function without the LED emitting smart tools around us.
Blue light blocking lenses protect our eyes by filtering out blue light from entering and damaging our eyes. Both blue light blocking glasses and blue light blocking contact lenses are perfectly safe eye protection tools. And you don’t have to sacrifice health to express yourself and your beauty. You safely wear blue light blocking glasses with contacts as long as the prescriptions do not stack.
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