Our lives are increasingly dominated by digital equipment. Most of us are virtually glued to our devices or exposed to LCD/LED lighting, televisions, laptops, screens etc. Combine blue light radiation with screen glare and you have the leading causes of eyestrain.

Blue light and eyestrain

Due to the high-energy visible (HEV) artificial blue light emitted by these supposedly time-saving technologies, many of us suffer from headaches, dry eyes, blurred vision and eyestrain.

But blue light is everywhere …

Blue light itself isn’t a bad thing. It’s everywhere; it’s in sunlight. Blue light is short-wavelength light – at the high end of the light spectrum right before UV. It is high energy light that scatters more easily than other visible light, so it is not as easily focused. Its unfocused visual “noise” reduces contrast, making eyes work harder and leading to eye strain, red irritated eyes, headaches or blurry vision.

One of the jobs of cornea and lens in the human eye is to block UV rays from reaching the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eyeball, which they do very well. However, virtually all visible blue light reaches the retina. Too much exposure can damage light-sensitive cells in the retina, causing macular degeneration and permanent vision loss.

As blue light is emitted from the sun, we align our circadian rhythms to it. Too much exposure to blue light late at night from tablets, computers or phones can disrupt our sleep / wake cycle, potentially causing sleepless nights and daytime fatigue.

Possible permanent vision loss

The amount of time we spend in front of our electronic devices and the proximity of screens to our eyes has optometrists concerned about possible long-term effects of blue light on our health and the increased risks of macular degeneration.

How to protect your vision against blue light exposure

Protective computer glasses and blue light filters can shield your eyes against the effects of blue light. Lens filters like blue control with anti-reflective lens coatings can make digital screen viewing so much more stress free, for your eyes at least.

What are blue control lenses?

Blue Control lenses reduce screen brightness and improve contrasts and flickering, so the chances of eye fatigue are also reduced; your vision is strain free and your eyes are protected.

Blue control is a blue light filter built into the lenses of your glasses which neutralises blue light emitted by LCD and LED screens. This coating helps to prevent eye fatigue and eye strain. To give you even clearer vision while looking at a screen, the blue control lenses we stock at John O’Connor optometrists in Auckland have a Hoya BlueControl finish coating which makes your lenses extremely scratch resistant, water, grease- and dirt repellent, and they have anti-glare properties.

What are anti-reflective coatings?

Anti-reflective coatings eliminate virtually all reflections from the front and back surfaces of your eyeglass lenses. With reflections gone, more light passes through your lenses making for sharper vision with less glare. AR coatings also make you look better by drawing more attention to your eyes; the lenses on your glasses become almost invisible.

Blue light computer glasses don’t have to be ugly

No longer are blue light blocking computer glasses yellow, ugly, and the cause of endless sniggering from friends, family and workmates.

Blue control lenses are available for both adults and children. For non-eyeglass wearer, there are stylish computer glasses available with no prescription. If you are already a specs wearer, we offer blue control lenses and anti-reflective coatings for most prescriptions.

You can choose new frames or use your existing ones. Talk to one of our optometrists.

What do blue control lenses do?

• Neutralise blue light, preventing eye strain and fatigue
• Reduce glare for a more comfortable and relaxed vision
• Reduce dry eyes, sticky eyes, and the feeling of grittiness or “sand” in the eye.
• Enhance contrast perception offering a more natural colour experience
• Protect your lenses against water, dirt, grease and dust, keeping them clean for longer

See how blue light glasses help

Effective blue light protection keeps your eyes in better condition while offering more comfortable, relaxed vision. If you spend a lot of time in front of a computer, computer glasses with blue control lenses are a fantastic choice, as they offer more comfortable vision and better contrast perception. You’ll definitely notice the difference. Find out more about the benefits of blue control lenses and anti-reflective coatings to see if they can make your world view better.

If you would like to know more about computer glasses, call our Newmarket Optometrists on 09 522 1283 or Henderson Optometrists on 09 836 1731 or send us an email via our contact page. We’d be happy to discuss all options with you.