Blue light filter Glasses – sensible or just a fashion trend?

Blue light filter glasses protect your eyes from harmful blue light. These glasses filter the blue light and a large part of the harmful rays do not get into the eye at all. The coated lenses protect your eye.

Hours of work on computer screens in the home office, nightly gaming, scrolling through Instagram, TikTok and co. in your free time: Do you recognize yourself?

Each of us directs our gaze to digital devices for an average of seven hours a day. This can not only be extremely exhausting, but also endangers the human eye, especially through exposure to harmful blue light.

The short-wave rays affect the sleep hormone of the sleep rhythm (melatonin) and damage the retina in the long term. To protect the eyes, blue filter glasses have been recommended for some time.

But can it really avoid possible consequences such as eye pain, fatigue and lack of concentration? And how harmful is blue light actually?

What is blue light?

According to the wavelength, visible and invisible light can be distinguished. Since blue light has a wavelength of 380 to 500 nanometers, it belongs to the visible part of the electromagnetic radiation.

The short-wave light is found in the light spectrum right next to the dangerous UV radiation, whose blue-violet light is already no longer visible to humans.

In particular, the so-called blue-violet HEV wave range (= High Energy Visible) of 415 to 455 nanometers can damage the human eye due to its enormous energy.

In contrast, the long-wave blue-turquoise light with a wavelength of 465 to 490 nanometers ensures pleasant well-being and supports the biological rhythm.

So blue light has two sides: a good one and a dangerous one.

How does a blue light filter work?

The function of blue light filter glasses is simply explained. The technology of a blue filter has the task of filtering out the harmful proportion of blue light and thus protecting the human eye from excessive exposure to HEV radiation.

The lenses are coated with a special coating, which ensures that the blue radiation in the wavelengths above 400 nanometers cannot penetrate the eye.

High-quality sunglasses act as UV protection for the eye, blue light filter glasses do the same for HEV radiation. This relieves the eyes during the long work on the screen and does not feel tired even after many hours in front of the smartphone, tablet or PC.

Are there blue light filter glasses with and without prescription?

Blue light filter glasses are available in different designs, so that everyone can benefit from the advantages of eye protection. Whether without prescription, as single vision, progressive or reading glasses – there is a suitable filter for every type of glasses.

If you opt for high-quality blue light filter glasses without prescription, you should plan costs from around 50 euros (excl. shipping costs).

If your glasses need an extra prescription, you have to expect a little more. Your optician for glasses and contact lenses will be happy to advise you on which blue light filter lenses fit your eye type.

Unfortunately, your own spectacle lenses cannot be processed afterwards. So that you can still protect your eyes and keep your own fashionable glasses, new lenses with incorporated blue light filter and their vision are simply inserted into the existing frame by the expert.

Who benefits from glasses with a blue light filter?

Screens – Work on the computer:

Do you spend your professional life almost exclusively in front of the PC and are plagued in the evening by excruciating headaches, fatigue, lack of concentration or red, dry eyes? Then a blue light filter in their glasses can make their life easier. Visual stress decreases, concentration increases.

Regular use of smartphone, tablet, etc.:

Even if you enjoy the benefits of the digital lifestyle and always communicate via smartphone or other digital media, it is advisable to wear blue light filter glasses. Especially at dusk and at night, such glasses are doubly useful for them. The pupils are dilated in the dark and more blue light reaches her eye.

Gamer:

Do you often spend your free time deep into the night in front of the gaming PC? Then you should take a look at so-called gaming glasses. This has a slightly brownish tint and thus also the advantage that the filtered light is less bright and dazzles.

Drivers:

Those who feel dazzled by xenon and led headlights of oncoming vehicles at night are well served with blue light filter glasses. Contrasts are perceived more strongly and glare from the light sources is reduced. Unlike sunglasses, it can also be worn in the dark.

The advantages and disadvantages of blue light filter glasses

The blue light filter glasses protect the eyes from harmful, short-wave blue light. Over time, exposure to this light can lead to eye diseases such as cataracts or macular degeneration (AMD). Blue light glasses can especially prevent such long-term retinal damage. However, it is not yet known at what intensity of HEV light a long-term hazard begins.

The so-called screen glasses are suitable for everyday use. So they can basically be worn in front of the screen, while driving, combined as sunglasses even when walking during the day and are not annoying even at night. On the contrary, they protect the eyes from bright, blue-light-intensive led or xenon headlights.

If you’re not used to wearing glasses, you may find the privacy screen uncomfortable in the long run. Some people find the residual blue reflex on the lenses annoying and not beautiful. It is therefore of particular importance that you opt for glasses with high wearing comfort.

How harmful is blue light – HEV light?

In contrast to UV radiation, HEV light (blue light) is not largely absorbed by the cornea and lens of the eye, but strikes the retina largely unfiltered.

Since it is absorbed here, among other things, by the blue-sensitive cones (receptor cells of the eye), it also plays an important role in generating a differentiated visual impression of our environment.

Since it is such high-energy light, it cannot be intercepted by the photopigment of the blue-sensitive cones. Instead, it can cause long-term damage in the light-sensing cells of the retina and in the underlying pigment epithelium.

Conclusion

We find the trendy glasses useful. The blue light filter is often not visible to the human eye. At first glance, you can often not distinguish blue block glasses from normal glasses. It can be worn in everyday life like normal glasses, is therefore not annoying and almost convinces as a fashionable accessory incl. Protective function for the eye.

This not only reduces headaches (migraines and eye migraines), but also improves sleep quality. Tired eyes, goodbye.

In addition, spectacle wearers with glasses who need vision do not have to do without the blue filter. It can be easily combined with starch glasses. In contrast to, for example, workplace glasses, the anti-blue-light glasses do not have any strength in principle.

Have your optician determine the strength and adjust the lenses using an eye test. However, in the case of severe refractive errors, it is advisable to also consider the possibility of laser eye surgery.

In one of our specialised laser eye centres in Stuttgart or Karlsruhe, you will receive individual advice and modern treatment at the highest medical level.