By now you may have heard how over-exposure to blue light from computer and phone screens may damage the light-sensitive cells in your retina. The reason for this is blue light penetrates all the way to the retina, the inner lining of the back of the eye, and may increase your risk of macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is an eye disease that causes vision loss when the macula (a small, central portion of the retina) deteriorates. 

How can I protect my eyes from harmful blue light?

Technology is a fact of life. In fact, most people spend an average of three hours and 15 minutes on their phones each day. To help you co-exist with computer and phone screens and still have healthy eyes, follow these helpful tips from Your Eye Specialists (YES).

1. Take a 20 second break from your screen every 20 minutes or so.
2. Next, focus on something about 20 feet away to relax your eye’s focusing muscle and reduce eyestrain.
3. Blink often; people blink an average of 7-10 times per minute when they’re looking at a screen—that’s half the blinks of people who aren’t looking at screens. Blinking will help keep the eyes moisturized and guard them against bacteria and other irritants.
4. Try light-adaptive glasses to reduce your exposure to blue light.
5. Put a blue light filtering screen protector over your screen. They use a special coating that blocks blue light and protects your retina.
6. Take a break from technology to give your eyes a chance to rest and recharge.

If you’d like to learn more about how to protect your eyes from computer and phone screens contact YES at 954-645-9899. Our eye care specialists have helped thousands of people see clearly using the state-of-the-art LASIK procedure.