In this article, we want to answer all general questions that come in mind when we talk about light rays such as Blue Light.
Please feel free to contact us if you don’t find your answer here and we are happy to add it to our Q&A list!
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What are visible and invisible light rays? What does visible light mean?
There are rays that are invisible to the human eye, such as infrared, microwaves, X-rays, and radio waves. There are also certain wavelengths that human eyes can perceive and we see them as different colors.
All of light is a type of EMF — electromagnetic field radiation. The light we perceive as visible is in the category between ultraviolet and infrared on the electromagnetic spectrum.
Color is the most defining trait of light. This is not just a property found in light, but in the human eye as well. To be more precise, objects radiate certain wavelengths of light that we perceive as different colors. Blue light is within that category.
What is Blue Light?
Blue light is one of the wavelengths found on the spectrum of light. It is found in our environment and it’s one of the most abundant types of light found in nature. This type of light is a necessity for normal human development and a healthy sleep cycle, as it keeps people awake.
Blue light is different from ultraviolet light, which directly damages our eyes. When exposed in moderation, blue light is not harmful to human eyes.
What does Blue Light do?
The most notable thing about blue light is that it keeps us from sleeping. The biggest portion of blue light exposure is not man-made, but instead comes directly from Earth’s Sun. It’s what gets us up at dawn and makes us stay up before dusk. That is why blue light emissions from manufactured sources can displace our sleep rhythms as well as our melatonin hormone levels.
What Blue Lights is my body exposed to on a daily base?
The most abundant source of blue light is the Sun itself — that’s why it’s so crucial to our natural metabolism and daily rhythm. Apart from that, humans have developed their own sources of blue light over the years, which provide additional exposure. We are talking about all kinds of electronic devices with screens such as televisions, computers and mobile phones. This is the blue light that can potentially disrupt our sleep cycles, as it goes beyond the amount of blue light we were meant to receive naturally.
Which devices emit Blue Light?
When it comes to man-made devices, practically anything that has a digital screen with backlighting is likely a source of blue light. That means your LED TVs and monitors, as well as any laptops. It’s also important to note how many portable electronic devices emit blue light — both tablets and smartphones constantly expose us to this. Fluorescent lighting of any sort is also blue light.
What does blue light do to your eyes?
Blue light is on the visible light spectrum, but on the shorter wavelength. That means that blue light has bigger amounts of energy. These wavelengths tend to flicker for prolonged periods of time compared to longer wavelengths, which are also weaker. This flickering is the main culprit in the glare that appears on our screens.
This glare is what reduces the clarity and sharpness in the content we observe on our devices, causing significant eyestrain. The stress we put upon our eyes is the trigger for many headaches and fatigue symptoms.
Is blue light actually harmful?
Our eyes do not possess a potent natural filter against the rays of blue light — that’s why it’s impossible to look directly into the Sun without damaging our eyes. And while our nearby devices have less blue light intensity, we don’t have sufficient natural protection against that light either. Being exposed to artificial blue light for a prolonged period of time is known to cause damage to our eyes’ retinas. In the long term, it can even lead to significant loss of vision.
Why is it called blue light?
It is called blue light because it’s a part of the visible color spectrum. If we were to separate blue light from other parts of the spectrum and only see it, our eyes would perceive it as blue.
What is a Blue Light filter and how does it work?
Blue light filters are physical see-through screen filters that block out any emission of blue light from the screen, without resulting in any discoloration or distortion of the picture.
How do Blue Light protection glasses/protective eyewear work?
Blue light-resistant eyewear works much like a screen filter. Instead of being a thin sheet placed over our screens, it’s an additional layer of film found on the anti-blue light glasses. It does the same job of protecting from blue light, but without having to get different filters for all of your screens.
Does UV protection protect against blue light rays?
No, UV filters are a completely different thing, blocking out a different section of the light spectrum. UV has other wavelengths compared to blue light, making blue light filters inefficient at combating against UV rays.
