Eye disorders, migraine, fatigue... Protect yourself from blue light!

The blue light from our screens has quickly become the number one enemy of our health. And for good reason:it would be the cause of eye disorders, sleep, or even migraines... Pauline Cousseau, founder of the Polette eyewear brand, sheds light on its harmfulness. As we spend more and more time in front of our computer, smartphone or television screens, we also hear a lot about the harmful effects of blue light on the body. Emitted by screens and LED bulbs, it is part of the light spectrum, a short wavelength that produces a large amount of energy.

Pauline Cousseau, founder of the eyewear brand Polette, details its effects on our health.

What exactly is blue light?

Blue light refers to the rays, present in natural light, corresponding to wavelengths between 446 and 500 nm. Among these rays, the shortest wavelengths correspond to blue-violet light. This is present in natural light, but it is also abundantly produced by screens as well as by certain LED lighting systems.

Blue light is considered dangerous after 30 minutes of exposure. It is therefore necessary to protect yourself, especially when you work all day in front of a screen.

A light that turns our biological clock upside down

When the eye receives it, it excites our retina and prevents it from producing enough melatonin. This hormone, produced by a gland present in the brain, is nevertheless essential to regulate our rhythms of wakefulness and sleep. "Because of blue light, the brain is in 'day' mode and the body is not prepared for sleep", explains Pauline Cousseau. Our biological clock is then shifted and the duration, as well as the quality, of sleep are modified.

Result:our ability to recover from the fatigue accumulated during the day is impaired.

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Eye disorders related to blue light

Blue light also creates retinal dryness. Also, it tends to aggravate headaches and migraines. By making its way from the retina to the optic nerve, where there are cells sensitive to light, it intensifies the pain already present. The sensitive cells are stimulated by blue light and then alert the thalamus, the region of the brain that perceives pain.
Worse, some scientific studies establish a link between overexposure of the eye to blue-violet light and the appearance of serious pathologies, such as AMD (age-related macular degeneration) or cataracts. Thus, in a study published on July 5, 2018*, researchers from the University of Toledo (United States) reveal that prolonged exposure to blue light triggers a toxic chemical reaction in the eye and destroys the photoreceptor cells of the retina. Once reached, the latter could then not regenerate and would cause an acceleration of the appearance of AMD.

What solutions to shield blue light?

If it seems vain to try to do without screens in our time, it is nevertheless possible to block their blue light with glasses. More and more brands (Polette, Edie&Watson, IZIPIZI or Blueberry) now offer pairs with patented "anti-blue light" technology. It is a kind of yellow filter that reduces blue light emission by up to 40%. They thus help reduce eye fatigue and restore light and restorative sleep, even after spending an entire day in front of the computer.

People with various vision problems can also benefit from this technology since today most opticians offer pairs of glasses with not only corrective lenses, but also anti-blue light lenses.

Another option:install filters directly on our screens. On smartphones, all you have to do is download applications that will act as a filter to prevent blue light emissions. Finally, specialists recommend not staring at your phone screen in the dark.

*https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-28254-8