February 25, 2019
March is Save Your Vision Month so we’re raising awareness with easy tips to keep your eyes healthy. People often believe that failing eyesight is just one of those inevitable things in life that are a part of aging. But truthfully, a healthy lifestyle has so many good effects that it can even reduce your risk of developing eye problems.
In addition to living well, there’s one thing that concerns eye doctors: the growing effects of blue light exposure. So we’ll concentrate on protecting your eyes from that risk, too.
Blue light is everywhere, actually, because the sun is the main source. It’s what makes the sky looks blue. A short wavelength on the visible light spectrum, blue light also increases feelings of wellbeing and regulates your body’s circadian rhythm (natural sleep and wake cycle). However, too much exposure to blue light can be harmful.
The problem stems from all of the manmade sources of blue light that fill our days and have drastically increased our exposure. This includes indoor lighting (fluorescent and LED), flat-screen TVs and display screens on computers, notebooks, smartphones and other digital devices. While they don’t emit as much blue light as the sun, think about how many hours we are exposed – and how close they are to our eyes.
Blue light causes eyestrain and headaches as well as physical and mental fatigue. Because our bodies naturally associate blue light with daytime, too much exposure can mess with your internal clock, reduce your melatonin production, and make it harder to fall asleep. Even worse, many medical studies suggest that continued exposure to blue light can have long term effects, such as retina damage. It can also lead to age-related macular degeneration and loss of vision.
There are several things you can do to protect your eyes from blue light at home and work.
See your physicians at Riverside Medical Clinic for more information. To make an appointment, call (951) 683-6370.