The use of digital devices is at an all-time high unlike any other time in history. This is not about to abate since scientists are on a constant race to improve existing technology and come up with entirely new gadgets. Life is becoming simpler and things that would have required you to go up and down in searches of them such as food and household items can now be bought and delivered at the touch of a button. However, what is the cost of having so much convenience? Digital devices expose you to blue light that not only harms your eyes but leads to other health conditions such as cancer. Therefore, stick around to find out how you can filter blue light from your digital devices.
What is Blue Light
Visible light from the sun and from displays of your digital devices is made up of colours that have different wavelengths and energy levels. The colours include red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Blue light which includes both indigo and violet light rays, has the shortest wavelength and highest energy content.
Artificial blue light is found in devices like computers, TVs, smartphones, tablets, and LED lamps. Blue light from the sun is beneficial in that it regulates your body clock and also helps children’s vision develop properly. Artificial blue light, on the other hand, has a bunch of negative effects on your health.
Effect of Blue Light on Eyes
Due to its high-energy levels, blue light leads to a condition known as digital eye strain. If you’ve experienced sore, tired, and dry eyes with episodes of headaches and pain in your back and upper body then you’ve had an encounter with digital eye strain.
Macular degeneration is another resulting condition of overexposure to blue light from devices. It’s an age-related disease where the cells in your retina slowly break down. Blue light increases the possibility of you developing this condition earlier in life. Macular degeneration makes you have a blurry vision because it attacks the very place responsible for the clarity of your vision.
Effect of Blue Light on Sleep
Naturally, you were never meant to be exposed to blue light at night. Blue light from the sun is what keeps you alert during the day and boosts cognitive functions such as memory. Most people in developed and developing countries have access to digital devices and internet access and this has made them work and entertain themselves even past daylight. This keeps them awake and alert late into the night and catching sleep becomes really difficult.
The brain detects the absence of blue light and it triggers the release of melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep. If you continue to work on your Mac into the night, the brain interprets the presence of blue light as day time. It inhibits the production of melatonin and when you retire to bed, it takes time for you to wind down and fall asleep. Repeated exposure to blue light at night can lead to a shift in your circadian rhythm which means you’ll suffer from chronic insomnia.
Effect of Blue Light on Your Health
With the interference of your normal sleeping pattern comes many health complications. Sleep is prevention and cure for many diseases since your body can only function and fight off diseases if it gets sufficient sleep. Getting insufficient sleep leads to diseases like high blood pressure, depression, obesity, diabetes, and some types of cancer.
How to Block Blue Light on Your Mac and PC
With the harm and disruption that blue light brings, you’re probably wondering how you can protect yourself from it. Well, the answer is blue light filters. These are special software or physical screen protectors that block blue light from your eyes and you can easily find for any device. A blue light filter for your mac will keep your eyes healthy, and for the windows fans, you can easily find a blue light filter for your windows 10 desktop.
Software Filters
All modern computers have in-built software for filtering out blue light. You can turn them on and off manually or you can set a specific time for them to go on and off automatically. You can also purchase software like F.lux for your Mac which is also available for Windows 10 PCs. However, blue light filtering software has an amber tinge that may diminish the quality of images.
Physical Filters
Physical filters are screen protectors that are fitted on your computer to create a barrier that blocks blue light before it reaches your eyes. They are clear so you don’t have to worry about the quality of your display being distorted. They also offer additional features like anti-reflective coatings and privacy screens so you don’t have to go looking for separate products for that.
Anti-blue light screen protectors will help you get the most out of your computer without you having to worry about the health complications that blue light causes.
