Are blue light glasses really effective at reducing eyestrain and headaches from screens?
I am considering purchasing blue light filter glasses because I am at a computer for long periods of time for work and have begun experiencing headaches and eyestrain. I am wondering if they are actually effective at reducing these effects.
Answers ( 1 )
There is no good scientific evidence that blue light in particular causes eye strain and headaches. Eye strain and headaches are very real symptoms, but there is no good reason to believe that it is blue light specifically that is causing them. Blue light is all around us, in sunlight as well as in the screens we use. In fact, the sun gives us about 1000 times more blue light than any screen in our houses. So, if it causes eye strain and headaches, you’d better not go outside again. Ever.
As is often the case, the idea that blue light is the sole culprit of our screen-based eye strain came from people trying to sell you something. In this case, those blue-blocking glasses. And sure enough, when blinded (no pun), subjects don’t report any less eye strain after wearing blue-light-blocking glasses than those that don’t.
In reality, there is no reason why blue light would cause any more strain than any other wavelength of light. But that’s not to say that the eye strain from your computer use isn’t real. It is. It’s just caused by overuse of your devices, and not taking enough breaks. Most of the trustworthy medical bodies with expertise in eye care recommend taking a break at least every 20 minutes, and staring at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. They call this the 20/20/20 rule. Make sure you do this faithfully, as it's easy to lose track of time while at your computer. They also suggest that you sit about 25 inches (about an arm’s length) from your computer screen, and tilt it downward to reduce glare. Room lighting is also relevant, and you should avoid staring at a bright screen in a dark room.
Staring at a screen for long periods of time, especially while concentrating, can be problematic for a number of reasons. One of those is that it often means you’re not blinking a normal amount. Artificial tears may help, but as mentioned earlier, taking breaks is the most important measure. And the issues can be exacerbated if your existing glasses aren’t appropriate for computer use, as may be the case if they are made for viewing at a different distance or position than your screens sit at.
One thing that blue light probably can do, however, is mess with your sleep patterns. As mentioned earlier, it’s a significant component of sunlight, and your body may use exposure to it as a signal to reduce production of melatonin, which helps regulate sleep. It’s definitely possible that blue-light-reducing glasses may help with this effect, but it’s much better and more effective to simply discontinue using your screens a couple of hours before sleep if you’re having sleep issues. If that’s not possible, you can give the blue-light glasses a try, but it may be simpler to just adjust the color temperature of your screens or switch to night mode. Either way, they won’t help in any proven way with eye strain.