Do glasses really protect eyes from blue light? Surprising results revealed in research

Are glasses really effective in protecting eyes from blue light? The team from the University of Melbourne, along with colleagues from Monash University and City University London, conducted research on this. The results the team got were very shocking. However, only adults were included in this research, hence it is not yet clear whether it is effective in children or not.

Wearing glasses that block blue light from reaching your eyes while using a computer is said to reduce eye strain, improve your sleep, and improve eye health. You can buy them yourself or your optometrist can prescribe them for you. But are they really beneficial or are they harming you?

The team from the University of Melbourne, along with colleagues from Monash University and City, University London, sought to see whether glasses could filter out blue light by surveying relevant studies. The result that came was very shocking. Research has revealed that glasses that claim to protect against blue light actually do not work.

what is blue light

Blue light is everywhere in our environment. Its main source is the sun. Apart from this, all the lighting devices inside the house are sources of blue light, these include LEDs and screens of digital devices, which emit different degrees of light. Although the blue light from devices is very less compared to the sun, it causes more harm to us because it is all around us because we spend more time on it.

Here is the result of the research

The team did research on 619 adults from six countries, and 17 different types of tests were conducted on them. It found that the use of blue light-filtering lenses does not provide any benefit in reducing eye strain compared to standard (clear) lenses. In this research, the stress on the eyes was evaluated over a period of time ranging from two hours to five days.

Effects on sleep were uncertain

Six studies evaluated whether wearing blue light filtering lenses before bed could improve sleep quality. These studies included people with a variety of medical conditions, including insomnia and bipolar disorder. Healthy adults were not included in the study. Therefore it is uncertain whether it has any effect on sleep or not.

Side effects of wearing glasses

Some studies have described how wearing glasses caused study participants headaches, bad mood, and discomfort. However, people using glasses with standard lenses reported similar effects. Although this study was for a limited time. That is why information about its widespread impact could not be obtained. It is clear that the effectiveness and safety of lenses can vary with different ages and health conditions. According to the research team, if there is eye strain or other problem, then definitely discuss it with your optometrist.

Input: PTI