Blue light is a short, heightened wavelength light which is naturally present in sunlight, but it is also glowing at us every day from our smart phones, televisions, and computers. Even though the intensity is much less than that of sunlight, it is nevertheless becoming ever present in our lives rasing the risk of eye damage. The phototoxicity of blue light has been well established. Reducing blue/light intensity is a hot topic among scientists because it also may improve peoples’ sleep and protect us against retinal disease such as macro de-generation.
A 20/20 study by Gavin Herbert, Institute at University of California’s Department of Ophthalmology specifically focused on Apple devices and reducing screen brightness in a “nightshift” mode ended up being more effective than any other screen protector or glasses at reducing blue-light intensity. Additionally, the study found that for some people, blue-light blocking glasses could in some instances actually cause eye strain. Accordingly, built in brightness modifications are particularly more appealing for most of us. The study went on to indicate that the individuals need to explore devices to search for a “night light” or “screen shade” which can choose their level of brightness and blue light. Alternatively, you can install an app like “Screen Shader Clone” which is designed to tint your computer screen to a “cozy” orange color to reduce eye strain and eye fatigue and restore day/night balance.
Often, it is the little things you do every day, like protecting your eyes that over time, may give you the slight edge against future eye damage. I hope that being made aware of these medical studies in our Barberi Law Insider helps our readers protect themselves from many of our life’s new “hazards” that come from reliance on our smart phones and computers that we now use in our daily lives.