Few things are more important than eye protection. Whether you’re worried about the sun or too much screen time, there are options to give your eyes some relief. For those who spend their days looking at a screen, blue light blocking glasses may be what you need. The majority of the large selection of glasses offered at Bodenhamer Eye Consultants come with built-in blue light blocking lenses. Bodenhamer, of course, provides these to both patients with prescriptions and those without.
Over the last few decades, studies have shown that the blue light emitted from screens, fluorescent lights, and even sun rays are affecting overall eye health but also the way we sleep. The goal of blue light glasses is to filter out most of the blue light that we experience during the day and more importantly at night. Our bodies are set on a timer, as the sun sets, around 9 p.m., our brain tells our body to release a natural hormone called melatonin into our bloodstream, this hormone is what makes us tired and slows our body down to prepare to sleep. But too much blue light disrupts the production and distribution of melatonin in the body, decreasing the quality of sleep someone gets.
Blue light glasses do the most good at night. Studies have shown that someone on their phone wearing glasses with blue light blocking lenses three hours before bed results in the same amount of melatonin levels as someone who has been in a dark or dimly lit room with no screen.
Sunglasses are just as important to have when it comes to preventing eye damage and healthy eye care habits. It’s for this reason that sunglasses for young children are offered. These glasses are small and go around the back of the children’s head. Dr. Bodenhamer recommends these glasses as it begins habit-forming for young children to wear protective eyewear. Harmful UV rays from the sun can damage the lens in the eyes and in extreme circumstances, can damage the eye’s retina.
Creating healthy eye habits for both adults and children is important in keeping eye strain and harm down to a minimum.
