Digital Eye Strain Is Unpreventable
It is possible to prevent digital eye strain even when staring at screens for long periods.
Be sure to practice the 20-20-20 rule regularly. This rule suggests that every 20 minutes, you should stare about 20 feet ahead of you for 20 seconds.
Blue light filter glasses may also help with preventing digital eye strain.
When To Wear Blue Light Glasses
You could potentially benefit from the use of blue light glasses when:
- Working the night shift. If you are staring at devices at night, the blue light might potentially disrupt your circadian rhythm. Blue light glasses may help to mitigate this.
- Using a smartphone, tablet, or computer. The amount of blue light your smartphone or computer emits could possibly lead to eye fatigue, discomfort, and headaches. Blue light glasses may reduce these effects.
- Indoors. Its not just about smartphones, tablets, or computers. Your televisions and LED lights also emit blue light that can affect your eyes. To minimize exposure, wear light-blocking glasses when watching TV.
- Outdoors. Sunlight is another natural source of blue light that can affect your eyes. Blue light blocking glasses may protect against some of the suns blue light.
Blue Light Blocking Glasses Reduce Exposure And Migraines
There are many simple steps you can take to reduce the cycle of migraines and sleepless nights caused by blue light exposure. The first course of action is to wear blue light blocking glasses. It is that simple. These glasses look just like any other pair of eyeglasses so you will not stand out, yet they reduce your exposure to blue light which can be life-changing for those who have to work in front of screens or want to enjoy a movie or other media that emits blue rays.
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Can Blue Light Give You Migraines
While bright light is generally a cause for irritation, blue light is typically the most painful hue for migraine sufferers. Its also the color that is most commonly emitted by screens on our computers and smartphones. The blue light from these electronic devices may trigger migraine attacks.
Which is better axon or TheraSpecs?
Axon lenses let more good light pass through than Theraspecs, which helps you avoid becoming more light sensitive. Ive tried other brands of to help with my photophobia, migraines, and cyber sickness. So far, the Axon Optics are the best.
What are Thera specs?
TheraSpecs® are therapeutic blue light glasses that filter out the harmful light that triggers migraines, headaches, eyestrain, and other conditions.
When Should I Speak With A Doctor
Blue light exposure may already be causing you to have symptoms like eyestrain and dry eye.
If these symptoms dont resolve with lifestyle changes and self-care strategies, speak with an eye doctor about them.
You should also make an appointment with an eye doctor if you experience the following:
- frequent bouts of eyestrain
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Blue Light Is Everywhere
We were getting plenty of blue light before modern digital life began. Most of it comes from the sun. But gadgets like televisions, smartphones, laptops, and tablets that populate modern life emit the brighter, shorter-wavelength light.
And because of the pandemic, weâre staring at those devices even more, according to Vision Direct, which surveyed 2,000 adults in the United States and another 2,000 in the United Kingdom.
The study, published in June 2020, found those adults averaged 4 hours and 54 minutes on a laptop before the lockdown and 5 hours and 10 minutes after. They spent 4 hours and 33 minutes on the smartphone before the lockdown, and 5 hours and 2 minutes after. Screen time went up for television watching and gaming, too.
Susan Primo, OD, an optometrist and professor of ophthalmology at Emory University, agrees that the research so far shows digital overuse, not blue light, causes eye problems. But some patients who wear blue light glasses do report less eyestrain, she says.
âIf you want to wear them and find some benefits, thatâs fine,â she says.
Primo says sheâs bothered by some of the marketing and advertising of blue light eyewear because it doesnât line up with the research.
An example: A chain of stores in the United Kingdom, Boots Ltd., was fined 40,000 pounds in 2017 for misleading advertising that said digital blue light caused retinal damage, and special eyewear sold at Boots Ltd. could protect users, Optometry Today reported.
Can Blue Light Cause Headaches
Too much blue light exposure can lead to digital eye strain , which can cause unpleasant symptoms including headaches and migraine.
Regularly stepping away from your screens to give your eyes a break can help prevent headaches caused by blue light DES.
If youre wondering why this happens? Keep reading for the deets on blue light headaches and how to prevent headaches before they bring you down.
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The Refractive Index Of The Lens Is Related To The Thickness Of The Lens
The main factors that determine if a pair of finished glasses are beautiful, portable, and comfortable depending on the thickness and thinness of the processed lenses. Depending on the material, the index of refraction is different. If you just look at the refractive index, the higher the refractive index at the same degree, the thinner the lens will be. The thinner the lens will be, and the more beautiful the lens will be. However, the higher the refractive index, it is not the better. You can choose the refractive index lens suitable for yourself. But the refractive index is not the only factor that determines lens thickness. Think about the distance between your eyes and the size of the frames you choose, which can affect the thickness of the lenses you match. The larger the pupil distance, the smaller the frame, and the thinner the lens.
So Do Blue Light Blocking Glasses Actually Help
The short answer is actually, They might not help, but they probably wont hurt.
For people who spend six or more hours in front of a computer screen, blue light reduction can help re-establish sleep patterns. As far as migraine or eyestrain prevention, some people report that these lenses help them.
Blue light blocking lenses are not extremely low cost, but for about $100, you can get a pair to try. They won’t hurt you, and you may find they help a little, at least with sleeplessness.
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Whats The Difference Between Blue Light Glasses And Gaming Glasses
There is no difference between blue light glasses and gaming glasses. Scientifically, both gaming glasses and blue light glasses protect eyes by filtering the high energy wavelengths of blue light . Since gamers spend long hours in front of screens and thus require protection, glasses manufacturers have targeted blue light glasses specifically towards them.
However, post-COVID almost everyone needs to protect their eyes in some way. The degree of protection you require will dictate the strength of your glasses.
For Harmful Blue Light And Migraines Try Precision
If you have photophobia, Axon Optics precision-tinted lenses are made for you blocking the specific type of light that has been shown to cause you pain. They also come with a 60-day guarantee. Try them and see how they can help you live with fewer migraines.
What has been your experience trying blue light or migraine glasses? Have any questions? Feel free to comment below were eager to hear from you.
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How Blue Light Causes Headaches And Migraine Attacks
There are several possible explanations for the impact of blue light on our eyes and brain. For a person with healthy eyes, blue light exposure from a variety of sources such as screens and sunlight can lead to eye strain, which often results in a constellation of symptoms like headaches. Longer duration of exposure and the brightness of the light source also play a role in the onset of headache symptoms.
Those who have migraine, or another primary light-sensitive headache disorder, have an entirely different confrontation with blue light. They tend to be hypersensitive to certain wavelengths of blue light near 480nm, which is further activated by neurological deficits in key pathways between the eye and brain. Thus, exposure to these wavelengths can trigger migraine attackswhich can include head pain and other symptoms of their condition.
Fluorescent lighting and some LEDs also uniquely affect people, with or without a prior headache or migraine disorder. Many of these sources emit an invisible pulsing that is processed in the brain, and this pulsing is most intense in the blue spectrum of light. This is why so many people can feel uneasy, in addition to having headaches and migraine attacks, when exposed to fluorescents.
How Effective Are Blue
Screens are pretty much unavoidable these days. We rely on them to work, read the news, watch TV, stay in touch with friends and family, and even order food. But with their added convenience also comes some drawbacks, such as screen-related eye strain and headaches. Blue-light glasses have emerged as a possible solution to help with both, but are they actually effective in reducing headaches? According to experts, they may be helpful, but probably not in the way you think.
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Better Ways To Prevent Eye Strain
The 20-20-20 rule is an effective eyestrain preventative:
- Every 20 minutes, take your eyes off your screen
- Focus on something at least 20 feet away
- For at least 20 seconds
In general, you need to take frequent breaks from your screen or monitor and concentrate on blinking more often people looking at screens tend to blink less, leading to dry eye. If necessary, you can use artificial tears. Another method of mitigating eye strain is to increase the font size of the letters on the screen, making it easier to read.
Blue Light: A Big Trigger
The type of light youre exposed to really does impact how you feel. While flashing or flickering lights are the most likely to bring on a migraine attack, blue lights and fluorescent and LED bulbs containing blue light are also massive triggers and aggravators. And where are people the majority of their lives? In an office environment under fluorescent or LED bulbs, straining their eyes looking at monitors and smartphones that emit blue light. Its really no wonder so many people struggle with migraines nowadays.
Blue light has been found to activate the trigeminal nerve, which plays a large role in pain perception during a migraine attack. It can even exacerbate migraine symptoms as well, such as light sensitivity, dizziness, nausea and more. While blue light is at its most harmful when the sun goes down, it can still trigger migraines throughout the daytime.
Also Check: Difference Between Migraine And Headache
Can Blue Light Glasses Cause Headaches
The answer is no. Rather they help us in the prevention of headaches.
Have you had frequent headaches lately? Dont worry its not just about a drink on the last night. It is also because of the frequent use of digital technology, which is a shock to your eyes. Long periods before digital devices have a major effect on your eyes health. You may not be able to recognize it at first, but digital screens can put significant stress on your eyes and lead to serious eye problems in the second half of your life. With digital technology becoming an integral part of your life, it is impossible to relieve your eyes pressure.
Digital eye strain is a problem that increasingly affects workers. It is eye strain due to the prolonged use of digital devices. When we usually take a break from our computer screen, 90% of users usually turn to our smartphones control functions. This only adds to your digital stress, and there is no pause for the eyes of the mind actually to relax. When you stare at your smartphone or computer, your eyes juggle between image changes on the screen and need to focus and refocus constantly. This constant use causes significant stress on your eyesight.
How Can I Adjust My Glasses
If you wear metal frames: Simply widen the plastic nose pads using your thumbs until the frames fit comfortably. If you wear plastic frames: Once youve soaked the arms of your glasses in warm water for 30-60 seconds, gently apply an upward and outward pressure on the end of the arms to get a more relaxed fit.
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How Light Triggers Migraines
The brighter the light, the more discomfort or pain you probably feel. The wavelength or color of the light also plays a role. Blue-green lightthe type found in digital screens, fluorescent lights, and in the UV rays in sunlighttends to trigger photophobia more than other colors.
What Do Gaming Glasses Do
Gaming glasses help with reducing the effect of extended screen usage on the eyes. They have the following 2 features
Gaming glasses help filter the blue light emitted from screens and reduce its effect on our eyes and health.
Screens reflect light on your eyeglasses which makes it difficult to see. Anti-glare coating refracts this reflection, making your glasses look better, improving vision and eye contact with others.
The blue-light filter and anti-glare coating are the most important features to protect gamers eyes. Some pairs of glasses also have a slight magnification feature , but more than likely, youll hardly notice this magnification.
Now lets explain the two main features of blue light glasses further.
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What Are These Glasses
Blue-light or as they are also commonly referred to as blue-screen glasses have lenses that could restrict your vulnerability to the light transmitted by the screens. Besides protecting you from the monitors you regularly look at, they usually feature non-glare protection, which is especially useful if you frequently have online meetings. As we already mentioned, this particular light is released by our screens, however, it can also be emitted by specific light bulbs.
The wavelength in question could easily harm your eyes, more specifically, the retina, which is something that could lead to sight damage and impairment. If you a lot of time on your PC or phone, you should know that these glasses could filter out harmful light, which means that they could potentially reduce or eliminate the damage done to your sight. Besides this, it could also help you ease the signs of digital retina strain.
Now, you should remember, even if you dont require a prescription from your physician, you might want to consider purchasing these beneficial accessories, especially if you spend a lot of time looking at screens or if you like spending a lot of time outside. You should know that there are various advantages of wearing these glasses, however, well discuss it later on in the article.
Could Wearing Blue Light Blocking Glasses Cause Headaches
If you work at a desk, you’ve likely heard of blue light blocking glasses. Said to help mitigate the risks and side effects of over exposure to this type of light, the glasses now sit at people’s desks all over the world. However, many report headaches after wearing them.
Working at a desk may cause headaches itself, especially after you’ve been staring at a screen for hours on end. In addition to headaches, blue light may spur migraines, blurry vision and skin damage, Healthline reports. When blue light blocking glasses came to the market, their benefits were widely touted as a saving grace for people working at desks. Unfortunately, studies have proven the glasses’ ability to block blue light, but not their ability to halt the headaches that come as a side effect. The evidence also isn’t conclusive enough to determine whether or not the glasses reduce eye strain either.
So, if you’ve noticed that you still have a headache after wearing your blue light blocking glasses or they seem to bring about these aches, you’re not alone. Even though they have yet to determine why some people report experiencing headaches upon wearing these types of glasses, the outlet notes that wearing glasses for the first time may take some getting used to. Plus, if you’ve recently changed your prescription, this could be the reason for the tension.
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Preventing Digital Eye Strain
If youre experiencing symptoms of digital eye strain, such as headaches, the best thing you can do is rest your eyes. In the future, you can make several changes to your habits and environment to prevent these symptoms.
- Raising the contrast on your screen
- Making text larger
- Changing the brightness of your screen to match your surroundings
- Raising your devices refresh rate to prevent screen flickering
- Setting up your workstation away from incoming sunlight to prevent glare & brightness
Besides these changes, you can establish a habit that can help you use digital devices without straining your eyes, called the 20/20/20 rule.
What Scientific Research Says About Blue Light Glasses
So far, research doesnt support the idea that blue light glasses can relieve digital eyestrain symptoms, such as headaches, dry eyes, or blurred vision. There havent been any scientific studies that have proven they have any sort of health benefits, says Vivienne Sinh Hau, MD, an ophthalmologist at Kaiser Permanente in Riverside, California.
According to a trial published in February 2021 in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, blue light glasses worn during a two-hour computer task did not change eyestrain symptoms whatsoever. And another small study, published January 2019 in Optometry and Vision Science, found that even though a blue-blocking filter used on a computer screen blocked 99 percent of wavelengths between 400 and 500 nanometers, it didnt alleviate digital eyestrain symptoms any more effectively than a neutral filter.
Thats likely because blue light isnt the only reason for digital eyestrain. The screen-related issues that people are having with their eyes are indeed more likely related to dry eye, eyestrain things like that, says Lauren Branchini, MD, an ophthalmologist at UMass Memorial Medical Center and an assistant professor at UMass Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts.
In short, because blue light isnt to blame for the headaches and dry eyes youre feeling, blue light glasses likely wont help.
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