Effects of Blue Light on human health

Just imagine, you work in an office, doing lengthy shifts, spending more and more time staring into a digital screen like your computer monitor or a tablet, you come home dead tired, had dinner and after some bed time reading and spending some time in social media on your smart phones or tablets, you try to sleep. Have you ever felt you are not able to sleep right away, like sleep is being deprived of you? Or do you think your sleep is getting disturbed even if you fall asleep somehow? Have you ever wondered why it is like that? Even if you did that, chances are, you attribute that to the normal stress in your official or family life. If it’s any consolation, you are not alone, there are millions worldwide suffer  from disordered sleep or insomnia. But, what if I tell you, it’s all because of some light your digital screens emits? You might laugh it off, right?

Well, laughing is good.  “A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” Says an Irish proverb. But don’t just laugh this off. Because this is true! Using electronic gadgets at night will ruin your sleep and increase your risk of death and disease. Scientists have found that visible light, especially at night could wreck havoc your biological clock or otherwise your circadian rhythm. Many researches points to that, night time light exposure suppresses the production of melatonin, the major hormone secreted by the pineal gland that controls your sleep and wake cycles.

Even though, all light at night is bad, it has been proved that short-wavelength or “blue” light is the most melatonin-suppressive. This is the type of light typically emitted by devices such as televisions, computer screens, tablets, E-readers and cell phones. Many studies have linked working the night shift and exposure to light at night to several types of cancer like breast prostrate etc. It could also impair your immune system function, and possibly lead to cardio metabolic consequences such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, heart diseases and increased risk for depression.  Because melatonin does far more than help us get sleepy – it’s also an antioxidant that appears to play a pivotal role in slowing the progression of diseases.

Apart from the melatonin suppression, continual extended screen time can impact your eyes in two major ways. The first and most common side effect is digital eye strain. Your eyes may feel dry, runny or tired, or maybe you get a headache. The second -- and more serious -- impact that can have on our eyes is eye damage from blue light exposure. Because blue light have the highest energy wavelength, it could penetrate all the way to the back of the eye, through the eyes' natural filters, and that's the problem. There are evidences that suggest the effects of blue light are cumulative and irreversible. Over exposure could lead to early onset of macular degeneration, which in extreme cases can cause near blindness.

In this digital era, a complete prevention from blue light exposure is next to impossible. But everyone needs to take precautions against the effects of blue light.  Whether we work in an office or play in the sun; spend hours staring at a computer screen or texting on our cell phones, we are all being exposed to blue light. Blue light is actually everywhere, the sun being the brightest source and we all require some of it during day hours to boost our energy and level of alertness. But over exposure due to proximity and exposure at night is what needs to be controlled. Some of the solutions include, computer programs and apps that manage the blue radiation from your computers and smart phones. Also there are special goggles and lenses with protective coatings to reduce the exposure. These types of blue-blocking eye-wear reduce the effects of blue light exposure. Because of its serious health hazards, reducing the effects of blue light and preventing its over exposure should be a top priority in anyone’s healthy lifestyle.