Nearly 7o percent of Americans have experienced the pain of digital eye strain—the average American spends 10 hours a day on digital devices, at work or play. The problem is that prolonged exposure to the digital light emitted by our screens can cause serious eye strain, commonly called computer vision syndrome. But it can also harm our eyes.
Computer vision syndrome isn’t just one thing—it is an entire range of eye ailments that affects between 50 and 90 percent of those who work or play in front of a computer screen for extended periods. The symptoms are varied and include eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and head and neck pain. These four problems are commonly associated with computer use, and lead to the symptoms of computer vision syndrome:
Yes, you can avoid computer vision syndrome by wearing a pair of computer eyeglasses. Even if you don't normally wear glasses, you can wear non-prescription computer glasses that can help alleviate the symptoms of computer vision syndrome. You can also get computer glasses in your prescription so you can continue to enjoy optical clarity while protecting your eyes.
Computer eyeglasses look just like any other pair of glasses, but they’re designed specifically for use with computers (or any other digital screen). Some manufacturers, like Gunnar Optiks, engineer eyewear that helps alleviate the problems associated with computer vision syndrome. These specialized eyeglasses come with proprietary features, including lightweight, innovative frames materials and lens treatments.
Computer eyeglasses work by blocking harmful blue light emitted from digital screens. Computer glasses lenses are designed to filter as much as 50 percent of the ‘bad’ blue light.
Blue light is a high-energy light made up of short wavelengths. Each color in the spectrum has its own wavelength and energy level. Light rays on the red end of the spectrum have longer wavelengths and less energy, while those on the violet end have shorter wavelengths and higher energy. Blue light is a high-energy visible light in the violet end of the spectrum, so it forces your eyes to work harder to focus on objects or text on your screen. While blue light occurs naturally, early research has shown that overexposure to it can result in retina damage and even macular degeneration. A lens that offers digital light protection may help protect the wearer from damage associated with prolonged screen use.
Digital light protection is a lens treatment that helps to reduce your eyes’ exposure to the potentially harmful blue light emitted from digital screens by reflecting and filtering out the damaging rays before they reach your eyes.
Yes, you can get BlueReflect™ lenses that offer digital light protection for single vision and progressive lenses.
FramesDirect.com offers a choice of precision engineered lens coatings that can deflect harmful blue light, leaving your eyes fresh even after a long day at the office. You don't need a prescription to get these lenses, and they're appropriate for adults and kids. They also come with scratch-resistant and anti-glare properties.