Blue Light The New Wave
Our experience with modern technology is relatively young, especially the habit of spending a major part of the day with our eyes fixed on screens. There’s a lot we still don’t know about how this kind of use affects our eye health. And blue light protection lenses are something we’ve been hearing a lot about lately. Let’s get to know a bit more about this
There’s a lot of debate about whether blue light really affects us to the extent that we are told these days. Whatever the verdict, they seem to be what the lens industry is banking on and the sales in this segment has been showing tremendous growth.
What Is Blue light?
When something produces light, different colors vibrate at different wavelengths. So basically visible light contains a range of wavelengths and energy. Blue light is the part of the visible light spectrum that contains the highest energy.
Because of its high energy, blue light has more potential to cause harm to the eye than other visible light. The blue-violet light is called high energy visible (HEV) light. That’s the part that most closely resembles the sun’s potentially damaging blue light.
Naturally, artificial blue light is much weaker than the sun’s blue light. But so many of us spend so much of their time indoors in front of digital screens that the lower rate of exposure starts to add up. It is unknown whether electronic blue light can directly cause eye problems, but it may contribute.
Not All Blue Light Is Bad
Long-term exposure to high-energy blue light may have risks, but some blue light exposure is essential for good health. So, 100% protection from all blue light is not a good idea.
Beneficial blue light (455-500 nm) boosts alertness, helps memory and cognitive function, and elevates mood. Also, beneficial blue helps regulate circadian rhythm — our natural wakefulness and sleep cycle. But too much blue light at night can cause sleep problems, daytime fatigue, and even serious health problems.
Blue Light And Eye Strain
Blue light is linked to eye strain, including related symptoms like headaches, shoulder and back pain, in addition to sleep problems. There’s even some concern that too much exposure to blue light could cause damage to the retina at the back of the eye. As a result, blue light glasses that claim to reduce or stop these problems have rapidly risen in popularity.
However, researchers are still determining exactly how much damage blue light does, particularly blue light emanating from digital screens. Because this information isn’t yet conclusive, some marketing claims about what blue light blocking glasses can accomplish may seem a little suspect.
Practicing Good Screen Hygiene
With or without blue light glasses, practicing eye-friendly screen habits is a guaranteed way to reduce your eye strain and the effects of computer vision syndrome.
Symptoms of digital eye strain often include blurry vision, headaches and dry eyes. The strain of focusing on screens may even trigger ocular migraines.
The 20-20-20 rule is easy to remember and employ: For every 20 minutes you’re using a digital screen, look at an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Lifestyle adjustments like regular practice of the 20-20-20 rule, taking extended screen breaks and using your phone’s dark mode can supplement any benefits you experience with anti-blue light glasses.
What do Blue Light Lenses do?
Blue light lenses block a percentage of this light with a special coating that reflects some of the blue light away from your eyes.
Each lens brand has its own method of how they make their products work. We asked the industry leaders to explain in brief how their products really work and what specific benefits products from their brands provide over the competition, if they do.
Points Of View
From what we have seen about the changing lifestyle there is a growing focus on eye health and its importance hence the need to have lifestyle based solutions to ensure healthy vision for every occasion.
Essilor INDIA proudly presents to you not one but a whole PORTFOLIO OF BLUE PROTECTION lenses from Basic to Advanced!
With Crizal Blue UV Capture the Entire range of Crizal now comes with the smart Blue Protection filter making Crizal a lens with many benefits. Crizal Prevencia provides the highest protection for harmful blue light. Eyezen is an advanced offering for prolonged digital consumption, with Light scan technology and Eyezen focus the lens not only protects but also relaxes the eye. Transitions is the Ultimate Blue Protection lens both indoors and outdoors, this light intelligent lens automatically adapts to changing light conditions.
Every consumer can choose Crizal® Prevencia® coating with blueUV capture for an ultimate protection against UV & blue-violet light*
The lens offers up to 5 times more protection against harmful blue-violet light than regular prescription lenses*. The Lens offers the protection shield with 8 benefits: Anti Reflection, Front and Back UV Protection, Resists smudge, Resists scratches, repels dust, repels water, Filters harmful blue light and allows the essential blue light.
Introducing ZEISS BlueGuard lenses,which are easy on the eyes, offer more protection and less reflection.
ZEISS BlueGuard Lenses “in-material” solution blocks up to 40% of potentially harmful blue light and provides full UV protection up to 400nm, which is slightly more than the current blue light blocking coatings. Besides blocking the potentially harmful blue light from the sun, ZEISS BlueGuard Lenses also reduce irritating blue light, both from digital devices or LED lights commonly used for indoor and outdoor illumination.
ZEISS BlueGuard Lenses are designed to address digital eye strain by blocking a part of the blue light spectrum that could exacerbate symptoms of digital eye strain.
In ZEISS BlueGuard Lenses, the reflections of digital blue light are reduced by up to 50%* compared to other ZEISS blue blocking coating. The lenses also show excellent clarity, and 90% of lens wearers are satisfied with the clarity of ZEISS BlueGuard Lenses* (as per the survey conducted).
ZEISS BlueGuard Lenses - The next generation in blue light blocking lenses with full UV protection.
ZEISS BlueGuard lenses are now available with ZEISS DuraVision AntiVirus Platinum coating in addition to ZEISS DuraVision Platinum coating.
Shamir Blue Zero & Glacier Blue Shield UV : Lens with built-in protection
Shamir Blue Light control solutions are available in both lens material and coating form. It can help to reduce or block (depends on the wavelength) blue light & the transfer of light to the eye.
Shamir Blue Zero based on unique polymer-based formula absorbs HEV or blue light while maintaining lens clarity. Blue Zero absorbs full UV light & Blue light is reduced in 420nm -500nm.
The lens appearance is virtually unchanged and maintains the mechanical properties of the lens.
Glacier Blue Shield UV AR coating filters up to 12% of the blue light in the 400 -500nm wavelength range. All the Anti-reflection coating benefits are retained – hydrophobic, anti-static, scratch resistant with minimum color perception distortion.
The blue shield light reflections are lower than those of the competitors, therefore, the return effect is less significant in Shamir’s coating.
Vision Rx Lab, one of the largest ophthalmic product manufacturers in Asia, offers advanced blue light protective lens solutions under Nova Blumax, the protective range available under its flagship brand, Nova Eyewear.
Unlike most other blue cut lenses, Nova Blumax is not any coating, but a revolutionary lens material which helps to provide optimum protection from HEV Blue Light & also harmful UV rays.
These specialised blue-filter lenses are available in both plano and with power and fits all prescriptions including single vision, bifocal and progressives in all frame styles and sizes, now also available in photochromic range . The onset of pandemic has increased our digital usage worldwide.
At this, stage the need for clear vision and protection has become a prerequisite and Nova Blumax is here to cater to the requirements of visual clarity, comfort and protection with its advanced protective lenses, which comes with fashionable frames offered under Nova Blumax Glasses category and Nova Blumax Zero Power Glasses, a ready to wear range pre-fitted with Blumax lenses for wearers without eye power who are looking for quick solution.
Thus, the Nova Blumax category has been so designed so it could effectively meet the visual needs and convenience of the end consumers in these challenging times.
Zylux has introduced a standard coating (Zylux Hi Def Glasses) which comes with by default blue light protection as we believe Blue protect lenses are the need of the hour & should not be an additional option to the consumer.
Zylux has introduced a path breaking product line under the tag name of Zylux Hi- Def (High Definition) lenses which has been certified by the prestigious SGS institute from Switzerland which is a top notch professional company which is known to certify Quality analysis and Report in terms of purity of any material or substance used while making the final product.
The Zylux Hi Def lenses have been an instant hit among the opticians considering the price point and the cart load of features which it comes with like Blue Light Protect, Smudge & Scratch resistant, Crisp & Clear transparency level giving it a more premium look for the end consumers.
As screen times have been considerably increased post the covid pandemic the need for blue filter glasses have been on a rise right from young adults to 40+ consumers. Keeping this in mind Zylux lenses have introduced Zylux Hi Def Blue Protect glasses across all variants of Single Vision, Progressives as well as Blended Bifocal versions across all indexes up to 1.74 index to cater to individuals with high prescription glasses.
