5 Tips to Protect Your Eyes from Harmful Blue Light

Blue light, though it is essential to helping us stay alert during the day, can also negatively affect you. It can cause dry eye, digital eye strain, and even insomnia.

So, how to prevent blue light damage? We’ve come up with five tips for harmful blue light protection.

1. Apply a Blue Light Screen Protector

Certain screen protectors can decrease the amount of HEV blue light our screens give off before they have a chance to reach our retinas.

You can find these filters wherever electronics are sold; simply look for the right ones that fit your smartphone, tablet, or computer screen. As a bonus, some filters are made with thin tempered glass that will protect your screen from scratches. 

2. Change Screen Settings

Are you wondering how to protect your eyes from blue light on iPhone or Android? It is very simple; most devices have special filters already built in! 

Night filter settings are available that will automatically change the brightness of your screen, emanating warmer colors that will not trigger your brain to stay awake. With these filters, you should be able to set the times that you would like light emissions reduced. 

Find the setting for your operating system:

• Mac OS and iOS: Activate Nightshift 

• Android smartphones: Activate Night Mode

• Windows: Activate Night Light

A higher brightness coming from your screen means more light is being emitted. As an added measure, you can manually adjust the brightness of your screen to make the resolution easy on your eyes. Try to adjust the brightness to match the ambient light of your surroundings so your eyes will not be affected by the contrast. 

3. Find the Right Glasses and Lenses

Glasses and lenses are a tangible way how to protect your eyes from blue light. Here are some glasses and lenses that may do the trick: 

• Blue light glasses: If you spend a lot of time on your device, blue light-blocking glasses may be a helpful solution. The yellow-tinted blue blockers filter around 50% and are useful for gaming. Orange, amber, or red-tinted glasses are said to block 100% of blue light. These are great for evening use when you’d like to wind down for bed. 

• Computer glasses: How to protect eyes from computer blue light? Computer glasses are made to filter 5-30% as you work at the computer, look at your smartphone, watch TV, or are exposed to office lights. They are typically clear but may have a purple, blue, or green reflection when someone looks at them on you. 

• Photochromic lenses: These kinds of lenses provide UV and harmful blue light protection when indoors. When outdoors in the daylight, they will darken automatically to help reduce glare. 

• Anti-reflective lenses: Some coatings are anti-reflective. They are made for eyeglasses and computer glasses to reduce glare, increase contrast, and block harmful light from screens and the sun. 

• Intraocular lens (IOL): If you have cataracts, you may be interested to know that after cataract surgery, you can replace the cloudy lens with an IOL. Some IOLs can protect the retina from blue light. 

• Sunglasses: Most sunglasses block UV rays and reduce glare. If you are looking for sunglasses that block blue light, look for pairs with yellow, orange, dark amber, copper, or brown tinted lenses. Another good option would be to buy a quality pair of sunglasses with polarized lenses. These lenses are constructed with a vertical design which keeps out horizontal light reflected in the lens. 

4. Reduce Screen Time 

If possible, consider decreasing the amount of time you are spending in front of screens. If you have to be posted in front of a computer for your job, try to take frequent breaks to give your eyes some time to adjust and relax.

Some smartphones can tell you just how much time you are spending on your phone. It will even allow you to set usage limits for the social media apps that suck up your time. You will be presented with a notification when you’ve hit your specified limit. 

To help you signal your brain when it is time to sleep, consider shutting off your electronics two hours before you go to bed. This gives your brain plenty of time to wind down, so you can get a good night’s rest. Try to find something relaxing to do instead, like read a book, journal, do yoga, or talk to your significant other. 

5. Give Your Eyes the Right Nutrition 

Carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are our eyes' natural blue light filters. Although not naturally found in our bodies, they can be supplemented by eating leafy green vegetables, and even some animal proteins like egg yolks. Lutein and zeaxanthin accumulate in our retinas, where they will be protecting your eyes from blue light.

People Also Ask

1. Is blue light radiation harmful?

Radiation from this type of light is not harmful in small amounts. However, it is thought that long-term exposure to it may cause retinal damage. 

2. How can I protect my eyes from blue light?

You can get harmful blue light protection by using glasses meant to block it, reducing screen time, applying filters to your devices, switching to softer lighting, and getting enough lutein and zeaxanthin. 

2. Do phone blue light filters work?

Filters do work, but not as much as 100% blue light-blocking glasses. 

3. How can I protect my eyes from my mobile screen?

Apply the phone’s night filter, wear blue light glasses, and reduce your screen time if possible.

4. What are the beneficial and harmful effects of blue light?

Blue light benefits us in that it boosts alertness, elevates mood, and helps memory and brain function. Harmful effects may include lack of sleep and possible retinal damage in the long term. 

Be Proactive About Vision Health

Applying a screen protector, changing screen settings, finding the right glasses and lenses, reducing screen time, and getting the right nutrition are all things you can do to be proactive about vision health. 

You can also get just the right amount of lutein and zeaxanthin in our blue blocker® eye health supplements. Shop our blue light blocker supplement!