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Chapters

0:00 Introduction
0:55 Blue light effect on the eyes
0:56 Retinal damage
1:53 Digital eye strain
2:47 Blue light effect on mental health
3:08 Limited day time exposure benefits


• Waves vary in length.
• Longer waves mean it is carrying less energy.
• Blue length waves are short which means they carry high energy.
• They are less powerful with a little longer wavelength than Ultraviolet waves.
• Blue light improves mood and boosts attention in the daytime.
• After sundown, blue light exposure increases that’s why we are prone to the adverse effects at night.
• According to health experts, UV radiations carry harmful effects and blue light waves are nearly as powerful.
• Therefore, a set of precautions should be kept in mind while dealing with blue light rays.
• Blue light is emitted from:
• Compact Florescent Light (CFC’s) bulbs.
• LEDs
• Electronic devices i.e., cell phones, computers, televisions etc.


Blue light’s effect on Eyes

• Retinal Damage

• The Cornea and lens protect the sensitive retina from UV radiations. 
• Their structure cannot keep the blue light from entering.
• Therefore, this blue light damages the retinal cells.
• According to the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology’s 2020 study based on COVID-19’s lockdowns implied that 32.4% of the sample population used blue light-emitting devices for approximately 9hours.
• There has been no retinal damage in humans according to the research.
• But animals have shown retinal damage due to blue light.
• According to doctors, there is still no proof that this light causes retinal damage in a human eye.
• Recently, doctors reported distorted vision and a retinal lesion in a woman who was using an LED mask (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7302677/).
• As LED devices are new that is why there is no long-term study to seek the harmful effects of blue light from.
 
• Digital eye strain

• Using devices for longer periods or near the eyes can cause eye strain.
• People remain focused on the gadgets and forget to blink in the normal duration which leads to less moisture in the eyes.
• Lack of moisture results in eye strain.
• Some symptoms are:
• Facial muscles fatigue because of squinting  
• Sore eyes
• Irritation in eyes
• Dry eyes
• Blurred vision
• Headaches

Blue Light’s Effect on Sleep

• According to researchers, the sleep cycle is disrupted if one is exposed to evening hours blue light.
• With the delayed sleep cycle other health problems also arise, such as:
• Metabolic changes
• Risk of hormone-related cancers (breast or prostate cancer)
• Decreased leptin level (a chemical that indicates fullness after a meal)


Blue Light’s Effect on Mental Health:
• Blue light nighttime exposure has led to depression symptoms in animal studies.
• On the contrary, daytime exposure improves mental health.
• 20 minutes daytime blue light exposure helps cure SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder – caused due to changes of seasons).


Limited Day Time Exposure Benefits:

• Blue right kills bacteria that cause acne.
• Boost memory and cognitive functions
• Improves SAD
• Aids in skin conditions
• Help you stay alert

Precautions
• Use blue light-blocking glasses at night to avoid retinal damage.
• Change screen setting to ‘night mode’ to decrease eye strain and maintain sleep patterns.
• Keep your eyes moist – room humidifiers and eye drops are recommended for this.
• Practice 20/20/20 strategy – after 20minutes of screen time, observe any object 20feet away for 20 seconds.
• Other blocking methods are:
• Using a sleep mask
• Take frequent breaks from screen time.
• Keeping the bedroom dark in times of sleep
• Dimming the lights at your house




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