Use Blue Light filters on your devices. Save your eyes & health.

Today we are very much closer to our electronic gadgets than anything. No matter whether it is during day or at night time we are attached to these devices as if they are parts of our body. Well many of us take them to our toilet also. Studies suggest that 60% of people spend more than 6 hours a day in front of a digital device. The continuous use of mobile devices and laptops or pc's have direct impact on our health.

But How?

We may have often realized that after continuously viewing the screens of such devices for a long time, we feel dry or irritable eyes, blurred vision, head, neck and back pains. But it seems like we aren't much concerned about it unless we know that they can seriously cause permanent damage to our eyes and body.

Yes, they can make your body processes out of synchronization.

Why?

Because all of these devices exhibit high-energy visible light (HEV light) also known as BLUE LIGHT.

What is BLUE LIGHT?

BLUE LIGHT is high frequency, high-energy light with wavelength around 475nm. There are many sources of blue light. They include Sun which is the main source of blue light. Other sources include the digital screens like TV’s, Computers, Laptops, Smart phones & Tablets etc. Not only these are the blue light sources but the electric bulbs also emit blue light. So we are receiving blue lights both naturally and artificially. Remember that the blue light that we receive from sunlight during the day time are really beneficial to us as they help us to make ourselves alert and focused. They help us to maintain proper body balance and keep us healthy. But what about the blue lights after day time?

Blue lights from sun during day are beneficial but artificial blue lights that are emitted by our digital devices specially during dark are very much harmful to us. Not only eyes but these lights affect our whole body process due to more exposure to blue light during night. Most of  today's devices use LED back-light technology to help enhance screen brightness and clarity. These LEDs emit very strong blue light waves. Cell phones, computers, tablets and flat-screen televisions are just among a few of the devices that use this technology.  Because of their wide-spread use and increasing popularity, we are gradually being exposed to more and more sources of blue light and for longer periods of time which has become a major serious issue regarding our health.

How Blue Light affects our health?

Sleep is the basic need which provides a relief to our body. And darkness is a natural warning for us to sleep. The Pineal gland of our brain secretes hormone known as “MELATONIN” which regulates our sleep cycles.  Artificial Blue light suppresses melatonin levels making a person difficult to sleep. They reduce the production of this hormone and disturbs our sleeping pattern. Reduction of this hormone will result in weak communication between our body and brain, our brain will not get the message that it’s time to sleep.  Due to this we will not feel sleepy and will not sleep at all.

The effects are not only limited to poor quality sleep but also you may become a victim of various ailment like metabolic syndrome, obesity, depression & even cancer. Due to lack of sleep a person may suffer from other

serious problems like Diabetes, depression 

cardiovascular disease, memory & learning issue as well it can cause road accidents and workplace injuries due to reduced alertness. Melatonin also plays an important role in regulating the female menstruation cycle. Hence blue light exposure is much more devastating than we suppose it to be. Furthermore, excess amount of artificial blue has been suggested as a cause of age-related macular degeneration. 

What is macular degeneration?

Macular degeneration, also known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD), is a medical condition which may result in blurred or no vision in the center of the visual field. Loss of central vision can make it hard to recognize faces, drive, read, or perform other activities of daily life. Visual Hallucinations may also occur but these do not represent a mental illness.

How to protect ourselves from blue light exposure.?

There are many ways to protect yourself from such artificial blue light exposure.

Nowadays many devices are using their own inbuilt anti-blue light exposure software’s. This software’s are designed to reduce eye strain during night-time and reduce disruption of sleep patterns.

Difference in iPhone Screen with/without  Filter

For example, Apple device’s now come with their own night shift mode to block maximum blue light. Night Shift uses your iOS device’s clock and geolocation to determine when it’s sunset in your location. Then it automatically shifts the colors in your display to the warmer end of the spectrum, making it easier on your eyes. Similar features are also available in Amazon’s “Blue Shades” in its kinder fire tablets. Asus laptops are also now available with their own inbuilt software “Eye Care Switcher”. All brands are now concerned about it and soon each and every device are expected to have their own night modes providing blue light filters.

Now what are the solutions for other devices like Android, Windows etc. who don’t have their own blue light filter? No worry as there are a lot of software’s that can really filter the blue lights from your devices.

F.lux For Windows

For windows, there is a software called “f.lux”. It is the perfect solution for filtering blue lights from your laptops and desktops. After downloading & enabling it, you will really feel the change as it will release the strain & provide a comfort zone for your eyes to work on computer late night.

For Android, the best software we’ve used so far is “Twilight”. It really provides the best environment to make your eyes
comfortable while using during dark.

Download link for flux and Twilight is given at the bottom of the page.

Twilight For Android

Using these apps by lowering the brightness of your device can allow you to use this device as normal and creates chances of good quality sleep during night.

Beside using these apps, there are other some natural processes to prevent yourself from getting into blue light exposure. They are:

   1.   Wearing blue light filter glasses while using your devices during night.

  2.   Using dim lamps in the room or bathrooms instead of bright lights.

   3.   The perfect solution is not to see any digital screens for around two hours before going to bed as melatonin levels begin to increase approximately two hours before a person goes to sleep. But we know today’s world doesn’t work like that.

How Blue Light Filter Works?

We know that blue light is the enemy of melatonin but we should also know that red light is the best friend of melatonin. Red lights are the least likely to suppress melatonin levels and shift circadian rhythms. This makes red light a perfect option for before bed lights and nightlights. Hence the apps that are used to prevent blue light exposure use the technique to convert the blue light into red light so that the exposure is less. As the effect of red light is very less in comparison to blue light, these apps will surely provide a great relief to our eyes and health.

Hence, be sure to use apps like F.lux & Twilight while using your gadgets specially in the night time because we just saw that a single blue light exposure can have a catastrophic change in the life of an individual. Remember your health comes first before all.

Link For Twilight Download

Link For f.lux Download

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