Screens are ubiquitous in our daily lives. Every day, we spend several hours in front of our phones, computers, tablets, televisions… to the detriment of the health of our eyes.
According to a survey opinionway for the National Association for the Improvement of Sight, the French would spend each day on average 6:35 a.m. in front of a screen. 29% of them have already experienced eye fatigue following the excessive use of screens. However, there are several solutions to protect your eyes, in particular from the blue light present in our screens.
What is blue light?
Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum. If it is naturally emitted by the sun, blue light is also present in artificial light sources, such as artificial lighting, fluorescent lights, LEDs or screens.
In recent years, many scientific studies have highlighted the fact that blue light is responsible for many short, medium and long term damage.
- In the short term, blue light can cause dry eyes and chronic visual fatigue, the latter characterized by, among other things, blurred vision, eye irritation, headaches and difficulty in focusing.
- In the medium term, blue light can create sleep and mood disturbances, because blue light can totally disrupt our circadian rhythm.
- In the long term, blue light increases the risk of glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Indeed, the exposure of the eyes to blue light strongly damages the photosensitive cells of the retina and thus causes a deterioration of the macula, which can lead to almost total blindness.
Did you know ?
A pathology is born from this overexposure to blue light, the “computer vision syndrome” (SVI). According to the Ophthalmological Center of Barcelona, 7 out of 10 people would suffer.
How to protect yourself from it?
Tip #1: Check your electronics settings
Did you know that your electronic devices are directly equipped with features to limit the blue light emitted by the screen? These features offer to automatically adjust the contrasts, tint and brightness of its screen, in order to limit eye fatigue. As it does not filter 100% of blue light, this option must be used in addition to other techniques to preserve your eye health.
Tip 2: The screen filter
It is an adhesive screen filter resembling a protective glass that is affixed to the screens of computers, smartphones and tablets. This filter works by blocking short, high intensity wavelengths. A durable, effective and inexpensive solution, it is very easy to place and eliminates 100% blue light.
Tip 3: Blue light blocking glasses
Increasingly popular, especially among video game enthusiasts, anti-blue light glasses are equipped with filtering lenses. These glasses, which can also provide correction, reflect part of the waves, so that they do not enter the eye. Very effective and available without a prescription from opticians, these pairs also do not filter all the problematic wavelengths, unlike the screen filter.
And if you don’t want to swap your beautiful pair of glasses, know that there are also removable clips that can be worn on the glasses.
How much does it cost ? Prices vary depending on frames, filtration rate, lens quality and technology. Count on average 35 to 50 euros per glass for a pair without correction.
Tip #4: Have a well-lit workspace
Prioritize natural light first. Install your screen perpendicular to the windows, in order to benefit from indirect light to avoid reflections.
If you are unable to move your computer, you can use warm white lighting for the interior of your home, i.e. with a color temperature of less than 3000 K.
Also remember not to look at your screens in total darkness, mainly because this factor encourages your eyes to focus only on the same point. Conversely, do not hesitate to close your curtains or your blinds when the light is too strong. In short, the surrounding environment should not be brighter or darker than your screen.
Tip #5: Enable Dark Mode
With its black background, which is less reflective than a white background, dark mode is an ideal solution for poorly lit offices and at night because it reduces the differences in brightness between the work environment and the screen. Available on some computers and smartphones, it is also possible to turn to applications or extensions such as Night Eye.
A few more tips
• Wear a correction adapted to your sight
• Place your screen at eye level, leaving 50 to 70 cm distance between your eyes and the screen
• Regularly shift your gaze
• Take regular breaks and eye gymnastics exercises
All the tips mentioned above can be added together. In addition, they must be accompanied by regular check-ups with your ophthalmologist.
LR