reduce the cost of corrective eye wear

If you've researched eye health or recently purchased a pair of glasses, chances are you've heard something about blue light. Blue light is a light spectrum that's generated by a wide variety of things, with some producing more than others. Unfortunately, blue light may lead to macular degeneration later on in life. If you're concerned about protecting your eyesight from blue light, consider the following sources that you are probably exposed to on a daily basis.

Light Bulbs

Every home and business uses light bulbs, and unfortunately, newer light bulbs tend to produce blue light in high quantities.

While traditional incandescent light bulbs produced very little blue light, the newer LED energy-efficient bulbs produce much more of it. Depending on the lighting situation in your home, place of work, and anywhere else you go, you could be getting exposed to blue light on a regular basis without even knowing it.

Electronics

Electronics are one of the leading sources of blue light exposure. Nearly every electronic screen in existence, from cell phones to televisions to computer screens produces blue light. While some electronics offer filters that reduce or eliminate the amount of blue light produced by the screen, they unfortunately also distort the colors and images that they display. As a result, it's not an ideal fix, although it's still better than constantly being exposed to blue light. Using one of these filters may help to cut down on eyestrain, so if you can tolerate the color distortion, it's a good choice to make.

Sunlight

Believe it or not, UV rays aren't the only dangerous thing that sunlight creates. Sunlight also contains blue light wavelengths. If you spend time outdoors or near a window, chances are your eyes are being exposed to blue light. Unfortunately, this means that just letting in the sunlight into your home isn't a good way of eliminating the blue light your light bulbs could be exposing you to.

Blue light may be harmful to eyes and potentially increase the risk of macular degeneration later in life, but you don't have to be defenseless. The next time you're shopping for a pair of glasses or sunglasses, talk to your optometrist or optician about blue light filtering. With a simple lens coating, you can protect your eyes from excessive blue light and avoid the color distortion that electronics create when they attempt to filter out their own blue light production.