Do I need to wear blue light blocking glasses?

This is the 3638th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

Although ultraviolet rays are harmful to the eyes, don't worry, lamps, TVs, computers, tablets, etc. in our daily lives do not emit ultraviolet rays. Blue light is not ultraviolet rays either. Only under high-intensity and long-term exposure to blue light can it damage the retina of the eye.

As the year draws to a close, have you all started to work overtime? Recently, many friends have asked me that it is easy to get eye fatigue when staring at the computer all the time. Are blue light blocking glasses useful? I have looked up some information and would like to share it with you.

First, we need to look at what blue light is. Blue light is a short-wavelength, high-energy part of visible light. In other words, it has strong penetrating power and is easier to penetrate into the eyes. Its wavelength is 400-500nm. It is not the ultraviolet light that everyone is worried about (because long-term ultraviolet light exposure will indeed damage the eyes). Foreign studies have shown that the lamps, TVs, computers, tablets, etc. that we usually use do not produce ultraviolet rays. So, will blue light cause harm to our eyes?

As early as 2014, Chinese scientists conducted a study showing that when the peak spectrum of blue light is between 460 and 500 nm and the illumination exceeds 1500 lx (lux, a unit of illumination), and continuous direct exposure for more than 3 hours, cell viability will be significantly reduced and apoptosis will occur. Some people say that blue light is very dangerous and we should all protect ourselves from it! However, this study was an in vitro experiment and directly irradiated cells. To cause damage, two conditions must be met: (1) high illumination and (2) long time - in our daily lives, the illumination of the working environment is generally between 100 and 500 lx. Even if the light source used is an LED lamp that mainly uses blue light, some of the blue light will be blocked by the bulb and the eyes themselves. In the end, only a little bit of it can damage our retina, which is actually within our tolerance range.

Light health is already a hot topic in the field of eye health, and the protective effect of anti-blue light glasses needs further scientific research. At this stage, it is recommended that you use light bulbs that meet national standards and pay attention to proper eye use. As for whether to buy anti-blue light glasses, it depends on the individual and the specific problem needs to be analyzed.

References:

1. Gao ML, Deng WL, Huang N,etc. Upregulation of GADD45α in light-damaged retinal pigment epithelial cells:[J]. Cell Death Discovery, 2016, 2:16013.

2. Luo Yongjun, Mou Tongsheng, Wen Xiaofang. Progress in light health and international standardization[C]// China Illuminating Engineering Society Photobiology and Photochemistry Application Research Forum and Ecological Lighting Forum. 2013.

3. Zhai Dongdong. Anti-blue light glasses are not a "talisman". Wearing them without restraint will make your eyes worse [EB/OL]. http://digitalpaper.stdaily.com/http_www.kjrb.com/kjrb/html/2017-11/21/content_382326.htm?div=-1

4. Duarte IA, Hafner MF, Malvestiti A A. Ultraviolet radiation emitted by lamps, TVs, tablets and computers: are there risks for the population?[J]. Anais Brasileiros De Dermatologia, 2015, 90(4):595-597.

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This article is reproduced from the WeChat public account of "Dr. Zheng Ke"