Exposure To Blue Light From Smartphones, Laptops Can Cause Eye Problems

The exposure to blue light from smartphones and laptops triggers "poisonous molecules" that are generated in eye's light-sensitive cells and can cause macular degeneration and other eye illnesses.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Aug, 2018 ) :The exposure to blue light from smartphones and laptops triggers "poisonous molecules" that are generated in eye's light-sensitive cells and can cause macular degeneration and other eye illnesses.

Staring at devices such as laptops or smartphones for extended periods of time can accelerate blindness and cause other eye problems, scientists said.

A study conducted on this by researchers at Toledo University in Ohio, USA revealed that it's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina.

"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," the scientists said.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, who is one of the researchers of the project, said humans are continuously exposed to blue light because the eye's cornea and lens can't block or reflect it.

Blue light itself has a short wavelength and more energy as compared to other colors and causes gradual damage to the eyes, given how many devices we use and the hours we spend on them per day.

One of the diseases mentioned above is macular degeneration which is caused by deterioration of light-sensitive cells in the retina.

In the US, where the study was conducted, around 11 million people are currently suffering from this disease with the number expected to double by 2050.

Moreover, blue light also disrupts our body's clock and interferes with our sleeping pattern. Around the evening when it gets darker, the human body produces melatonin which is a sleep hormone. Excessive use of devices emitting blue light can slow down or stop the process of producing melatonin.

Thankfully, most smartphones now come with blue light filters built-in and it is highly recommended that they are used to prevent any kind of eye damage. One can set the intensity of filter to whatever like. Some are activated at a particular time but one can also have the option to enable it manually.

Windows 10 also has a built-in blue light filter which goes by name "Night Light".

For those who don't have any kind of blue light filter intheir smartphones, third-party applications are available both oniOS App Store and Android Play Store.