Our eyes are extremely important visual organs that help us see, so it is vital that we protect our eyes as much as we possibly can.
We have all grown up being told that we need to be careful looking at phone screens in the dark or sitting too close to the TV otherwise our eyes will become damaged and we won’t be able to do anything to help them.
If light from our screens is damaging to our eyes, what lights are okay for our eyes to look at? And what lights actually do damage our eyes?
There are lots of questions regarding what lights won’t damage our eyes and what ones will, as we need light in our homes so that we can function in our daily lives.
It begs the question, what are the best and worst light sources for our eyes? What light sources damage our eyes? What light sources are okay for us to use? Find out all of the answers below so that you can be sure that you aren’t putting your eyes in danger for much longer.
What Causes Damage To Your Eyes?
The reason that we have to be careful with lights is because high amounts of UV radiation can permanently damage our eyes. This is why we are advised to wear sunglasses when it is sunny so that we can protect our eyes from the UV radiation produced by the sun.
It isn’t unusual to see “protects against UV rays” written on sunglasses in a store, as these are the type of sunglasses you need to keep your eyes safe from the light.
What Lights Produce The Most UV Radiation?
In homes and offices, it is a good idea to always avoid lights with high UV radiation as you are more at risk of developing eye problems from being exposed to these lights.
The lights that you need to avoid are bright white and fluorescent bulbs as they produce the most UV radiation. These lights tend to have a blue tone to them which can severely damage your eyes if used to often.
We are always taught that staring at the screen of a phone, tablet, or TV is bad for our eyes, but how true is this? As it happens, this can damage your eyes in the long-term from excessive use.
The light from the screens also contains blue light, which can cause damage to your eyes from significant overexposure.
What Lights Can I Use?
There are certain bulbs that you can use that produce a lot less UV radiation compared with bulbs and screens that produce a lot of blue light that can cause harm to your eyes. You may be thinking that all light is bad for your eyes, but this isn’t the case.
Lights that produce less UV radiation can drastically increase your eye health as your eyes are not being exposed to the harmful UV radiation.
What lights are suitable for your eyes?
LED Bulbs
LED bulbs are actually the most energy-efficient bulbs as they use a lot less electricity compared with normal lightbulbs.
However, people say that LED bulbs only produce blue light, but they come in a range of color lights so that you are able to choose a bulb based on what will be better for your eyes.
You are able to get LED bulbs in warmer lights so they are more suitable for your eyes and will not cause as much damage as bright white bulbs. LED bulbs produce no UV rays so you can be sure that your eyes are properly protected from UV radiation.
Compact Fluorescent Lights
Although we are told that fluorescent lights are bad for our eyes, compact fluorescent lights are more energy efficient than standard fluorescent bulbs and contain less UV rays. There is also the option of having compact fluorescent lights that can be dimmed based on your preference.
There is also the fear that compact fluorescent lights are dangerous to your eyes because they contain mercury. Although they do contain a small amount of mercury, it is a lot less compared with standard fluorescent bulbs.
The compact fluorescent lights reduce the amount of mercury released into the air from the bulbs.
Full Spectrum Lighting
Full spectrum lighting aims to provide light that mimics natural sunlight. By creating light that is similar to natural sunlight, it creates a balance in the brightness and enhances readability.
Full spectrum lighting actually enhances color perception and has the ability to improve vision and readability for the eyes.
How To Keep Your Eyes Healthy?
Keeping your eyes healthy is extremely important so it is vital that we take care of the light that is being used around our eyes. As we spend a lot of time looking at screens and being out in the sunlight, there are a few things that can be done to keep our eyes healthy.
Avoid Bright Lights In The Dark
The best way to keep your eyes healthy is to avoid looking at your phone or the TV screen in the dark. This will strain your eyes and damage them in the long-term. If you want to look at the screen in the dark, it is a good idea to have some light in the room from a lamp to reduce the strain on your eyes.
Keep Your Eyes Moist
It is important to keep your eyes moist as the moisture on your eyes help to protect them. You can keep your eyes moist by blinking or using eye drops to help keep your eyes protected. This will also prevent itchiness and soreness in the eyes.
Adjust the Brightness On Your Computer
For some people, working on a computer is non-negotiable as we need to work online. However, you can adjust the settings on your computer to reduce the brightness and the strain on your eyes.
Your brightness settings should be ambient and you can even adjust the color setting to warm tones. Any brighter than this and your eyes will feel strained and could become damaged in the long-term.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, there are many ways you can protect your eyes from UV rays and blue lights. A lot of the light sources that damage your eyes are things in our daily lives such as computer screens, phone screens, sunlight, and bright white lights.
Although we may think that there isn’t a lot we can do to help our eyes, there are changes we can make to reduce the strain on our eyes.
By adjusting the brightness setting on your technology to warmer colors, this instantly helps improve your vision. There is less UV radiation being projected into your eyes so warmer lights are definitely healthier for your eyes than bright white lights.
The bright white lights in bulbs produce more UV rays that can damage your eyes and blue light can also begin to affect your vision in the long-term.
Overall, it is important to make sure that you take care of your eyes. By making slight changes to your daily life, you can protect your eyes from blue light damage and UV rays that could become harmful in the future.