Blue light from phones, tablets could speed blindness - How to protect your eyes?

The Blue light generate poisonous chemical reactions killing photoreceptors, which cannot be restored once they die off. The Blue light beaming from smartphones and tablets is changing cells in our eyes that could accelerate blindness, according to a study.

A study from The University of Toledo found that blue light triggers "toxic" reactions in retinal molecules that sense light and signal the brain. The retinal used by photoreceptors in our eyes is what allows people to see.

This leads to macular degeneration, an incurable eye disease that causes blindness starting in your 50s or 60s, researchers said.

"It’s no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye’s retina," said Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the University of Toledo's department of chemistry and biochemistry, and one of the study's authors, in a statement. "Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop."

Blue light can also affect your sleep, suppressing your body's ability to create the hormone melatonin, according to the National Sleep Foundation. They suggest staying away from devices at least 30 minutes before going to bed.

How to protect your eyes from the blue light

To protect your eyes from blue light, Karunarathne advises to wear sunglasses that can filter both UV and blue light outside and avoid looking at cell phones or tablets in the dark.

Say goodnight to technology at least 30 minutes before going to bed. Blue light from our devices at night can disrupt our circadian rhythm and melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep.

Turn down the brightness on your devices. You can also use applications such as Nightshift on the iPhone to decrease the amount of blue light emitted from your device.

Read more: https://utnews.utoledo.edu/index.php/08_08_2018/ut-chemists-discover-how-blue-light-speeds-blindness