Blue Light: What Is It & Should You Use Blocking Glasses?

On Health with Houston Methodist

The blue light emitting from your screen as you read this has become a bit of a bogeyman, allegedly responsible for eye strain, headaches, poor sleep and much more. Enter blue light-blocking glasses, also called blue light glasses or blue light-filtering glasses. Advocates of blue light glasses claim these lenses can absorb or filter the short wavelengths of blue light produced by our devices, which in turn improves sleep, vision and even focus and productivity. In this episode, we explore blue light and whether specialized eyewear is the answer to its possible harms.
Expert: Dr. Amina Malik, Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
Interviewer: Zach Moore
Notable topics covered:

• What exactly is blue light, and is it a problem?
• The biggest source of blue light (it’s not your phone or TV)
• Does blue light affect your circadian rhythm?
• Who is more at-risk for blue light exposure
• Rose-tinted glasses are real — what are they used for?
• The 20-20-20 rule and other tried-and-true tips to help eye strain
• It’s not just the light: Why you should limit screens before bed
• How to choose the right sunglasses to protect your eyes
• What eye color has to do with light sensitivity, skin cancer

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1. Host intro (00:00:00)

2. The origins of blue light glasses (00:02:02)

3. What exactly is blue light? (00:03:20)

4. What are blue light glasses or blue light-absorbing lenses? (00:04:27)

5. The risks of blue light exposure (00:05:04)

6. Blue light absorbing vs anti-reflective lenses (00:06:22)

7. Are there other glasses that help with other conditions? (00:07:36)

8. When can you use blue light glasses? (00:08:08)

9. What research says about blue light glasses (00:10:27)

10. What you can do to help with digital eye strain, sleep (00:12:34)

11. The differences between UV protection and blue light-blocking sunglasses (00:15:51)

12. How to choose the right sunglasses to protect your eyes (00:17:17)

13. What eye color has to do with light sensitivity, skin cancer (00:18:11)

14. Host wrap-up (00:20:47)