Ready for a mind blowing statistic? Over 60% of individuals spend more than 6 hours a day in front of a screen. That means that a lot of people are spending almost 2 FULL DAYS of their week in front of a screen.
Are there health repercussions to that much screen time? 
The short answer? Yes - in a multitude of ways.
Digital eye strain can cause headaches, blurred or double vision, physical or mental fatigue, dry eye, neck pain, shoulder pain, and sensitivity to light.
Screens can cause digital eye strain, but what about all the hype around the negative effects of blue light? Is blue light as terrible for you as you hear?
The short answer? The research is still ongoing.
Here is what we know
We know that light regulates our circadian rhythm, and blue light exposure (especially at night) suppresses the secretion of melatonin. Excessive blue light exposure is thought to result in disrupted sleep, which can take a toll on your health.
New research also suggests that overexposure to blue light may contribute to vision problems such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
So should you purchase a pair of blue light blocking glasses?
It depends. At Mill Creek Family Eye Center, we generally don’t recommend individuals to get a pair of glasses that are exclusively “blue light blocking”. Instead, we encourage our patients to consider purchasing computer glasses with blue light blocking
lenses.
Computer glasses reduce eye strain by adjusting the focus slightly so that your eyes feel like they are focusing on something further away. These glasses are proven to reduce the symptoms of digital eye strain. Computer glasses, coupled with a blue light blocking feature, are a great option for those who spend a good chunk of their work or school day at a computer.
But what if you don’t spend a lot of time at the computer, but still want the blue blocking feature? At Mill Creek Family Eye, we can customize your normal glasses to include a blue blocking lens.
It’s important to note however, that all blue blocking lenses are NOT created equal.
Sadly, the majority of the blue light blocking glasses on the market block out little to no blue light. Dr. Davis uses a blue light in the video below to test different blue light glasses and see which of them actually work.
The results? The only blue light blocking lens that we found to significantly block out blue light was the Shamir Blue Zero lenses.
Mill Creek Family Eyewear now carries Shamir Blue Zero lenses. Our in house eyewear lab is able to handcraft and customize your glasses to fit your needs and lifestyle.
In conclusion, the negative effects of blue light and the efficacy of blue light blocking glasses are still being researched. What is known? Excessive screen time is dangerous to your eyes and your overall health. Computer glasses (with a blue light blocking lens) is a great option to help combat the negative effects of digital eye strain. You can also customize your personal glasses to include blue light blocking lenses if interested.
If you are like the average American, you spend a good chunk of your day in front of a screen. At your next eye exam, consult with our eye doctors to see if computer glasses or blue light blocking lenses would be a good fit for you.