Blue Light From Screens is Causing Blindness & Health Problems

Health Risks of Artificial Light

Exposure to artificial blue light at the wrong times of the day is one of the largest health risks of today and blocking them is important to regulate your internal clock to control sleep patterns, hormones, avoid chronic diseases, myopia, potential blindness, and other body function.

One of the simplest ways to protect yourself is to wear blue-light-blocking glasses at night. Other times to wear them are while under any artificial light particularly LED lights or when staring at a computer, tablet or Smartphone.

Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Specific light blocking glasses were Originally designed for the NASA space program to protect Astronauts from incredibly strong ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. A sunglass manufacturer developed a special design of these that that blocked not only the UV rays but also blue rays with the desirable effect of making objects appear sharper, but the real benefits of blocking blue light are only beginning to be understood.

Benefits of Using Blue Light glasses:

• – Improved sleep pattern and other body functions
• – Lowered risk of many chronic diseases
• – Improved mood
• – The primary benefit is to prevent damage to the DHA essential fat in your retinal-pigmented epithelium. This converts sunlight into vital DC electric current your body needs.
• – Blue light also increases the distance of the proteins in the respiratory electron transport chain in your mitochondria making them far less efficient in producing mitochondria and blocking them prevents this.

Mood Enhancement, Even for Bipolar Disorder

In a recent study published in Bipolar Disorders, use of such glasses for one week led to “knock-your-socks-off results” among people with bipolar disorder. Those who wore blue-blocking orange-tinted glasses from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. for seven days had significant improvements in symptoms of mania compared to those who wore clear glasses. The improvements began after just three nights of use.

Why Artificial Blue Light Needs to Be Avoided

Our internal clock is started each day by the rise and fall of the sun, which synchronizes our circadian rhythm.

In the morning, bright, blue-light-rich sunlight signals to your body that it’s time to wake up. At night, as the sun sets, darkness should signal to your body that it’s time to sleep.

The problem is that most people living in developed countries no longer go to sleep when the sun sets.

Instead, we turn on LED lights, computers, televisions, tablets, and smart phones, all of which expose us to varying amounts of blue light at a time of day when there’s supposed to be next to none, confusing your body and causing many health problems.

FYI – Blue light appears white to the naked eye

Because of this we are unaware when we are staring at it from most light bulbs and screens.

When to Wear Blue Light Blocking Glasses?

The simplest ways to protect yourself if you’re going to use lights or any TV or devices is to wear blue-light blocking glasses. (Candlelight is okay) And most importantly, I use them anytime after the sun sets. But it is also beneficial to wear them indoors, any time a light source or device is being used.

I like these brands (click photo for Amazon link)

This Orange Lens blocks out over 99% of blue light from screens and light bulbs. I wear them indoors especially at night and while driving.

https://amzn.to/2CxmGVx

https://amzn.to/3fOKnqR

https://amzn.to/2HlKDyL

I wear them indoors in commercial buildings, the more “normal” looking ones when I can and remove them as soon as I leave and have access to sunlight.

These Amber (yellow) colored lenses are a little easier on the eyes

https://amzn.to/2W8OXtr

I like using them both

The other option is to buy special light bulbs for evening use that do not have blue light in their spectrum. These, unfortunately, are more expensive and may use more electric, so for most people the glasses are an easier solution.

Dangers of LED lights

• – LED Lighting Deteriorates Vision
• – LED light can exacerbate chronic disease of all kinds by promoting mitochondrial dysfunction and suppressing energy production in your cells.
• When you are exposed to these higher amounts of blue light frequencies they catalyze excess ROS formation that contributes to biologic damage. So, when using LEDs, you end up with increased cellular damage and decreased repair and regeneration. The end result, as one would expect, is a higher risk for chronic disease and an impaired ability to heal.
• If you use LED lights after sunset, you reduce the regenerative and restoring capacities of your eyes leaving you with degeneration. In this case, the degeneration can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is the primary cause of blindness in the elderly.

Light Bulb Solutions

Purchase the old incandescents if you can and switch back to incandescent light bulbs.

Just remember to get incandescents that are crystal clear and not coated with white to give off a cool white light. You want a 2,700 K incandescent, thermal analog light source. (Note that these use more electricity) Actually, fragrance-free candles would be even better. Be particularly mindful to only use this type of light at night. After sunset, I use blue light blocking glasses as mentioned.

The “Bedtime bulb” linked below is my favorite of the non-blue light bulbs as it has the least blue light, no color distortion, lowest flicker rate and although more expensive than typical bulbs upfront doesn’t raise your electric bill more than typical bulbs. I use it on all my lights. With the low flicker rate, this is also beneficial for those who often get headaches.

https://amzn.to/31HXO5i – Bedtime Bulb link

Digital Blue Light May Accelerate Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is a problem occurring in your retina when the macula is damaged. It is THE leading cause of vision loss and affects nearly 10 million Americans. It causes you to lose your central vision and cannot see fine details close or far away.

An important point that needs to be made is that the human retina is not designed to be exposed to blue light at night. We used to be only exposed to fire light at night. This is why it’s so crucial to block blue light, particularly at night, but also during the daytime when the light is from artificial sources.

Incandescents and halogen lights are acceptable, as they contain the near-infrared wavelengths, which help with repair and regeneration, while LEDs are best avoided, since they’re virtually devoid of these healing near-infrared wavelengths, emitting primarily blue light.

Researchers discovered blue light essentially poisons the photoreceptor cells. Kasun Rathnayake, a Ph.D. student from the research group, says:

“It’s toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves. Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they’re dead, they’re dead for good.”

One of the concerns is protecting the vision of children growing up in a high-tech world.”

Importantly, LED light affects your mitochondrial function and may exacerbate health problems rooted in mitochondrial dysfunction, including metabolic disorder and cancer.

Dangers of Not Getting Sun Light in Your Eye

One-third of the energy your body consumes comes from the food you eat. The vast majority of the energy your body needs to maintain the systemic equilibrium comes from environmental infrared light exposure

Lack of sunlight exposure during the day has also been implicated in the massive rise in myopia (nearsightedness). Sunlight releases dopamine in your retina, slowing the growth of your eye and therefore possibly slowing the elongation of the eye and changes to your sight.

ATP is the fuel your cells need for all of their varied functions, including ion transport, synthesizing and metabolism. Your body produces your body weight in ATP every day. And, while you can survive for several minutes without oxygen, were all ATP production to suddenly stop, you’d die within 15 seconds. This is why lighting is so important.

ATP is responsible for energy levels, detoxing the liver, more collagen to be synthesized, and all cellular functions. The point is that your body’s energy production involves not just food intake. You also need exposure to certain wavelengths of light in order for your metabolism to function optimally. This is yet another reason why sun exposure is so vitally important for optimal health, and why LED bulbs are best avoided.

It’s a good idea to look in the direction of the sunlight first thing in the morning (7-8am) and at noon for 30 minutes

American Medical Association (AMA) Gives Warning About Blue Light-Rich LED Streetlights

At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA), the AMA issued new guidance for communities on how to “reduce the harmful human and environmental effects of high-intensity [LED] street lighting.”

AMA Board Member Dr. Maya A. Babu said in a news release, “Despite the energy efficiency benefits, some LED lights are harmful when used as street lighting.”

The guidance focused on high-intensity LED lighting, which emits a large amount of blue light and appears white to the naked eye.

Risks noted by the AMA include risks to nighttime drivers, including:

• – Worse nighttime glare than conventional lighting
• – Discomfort and disability caused by the intense lighting may “decrease visual acuity and safety, resulting in concerns and creating a road hazard”
• – The AMA also pointed out that blue-rich LED streetlights operate at a wavelength that adversely suppresses melatonin at night — far more so even than other types of light. The AMA noted white LED lights “have a five times greater impact” on circadian sleep rhythms than conventional street lamps.

They cited “recent large surveys” that found brighter nighttime light in communities is linked with:

• – Reduced sleep times
• – Dissatisfaction with sleep quality
• – Excessive sleepiness
• – Impaired daytime functioning
• – Obesity

Bright Light Is Beneficial When Exposure Occurs During the Day (not from artificial light)

Artificial blue light should be avoided at all times, not just at night. It’s important to understand that exposure to full-spectrum natural light from the sun (which naturally contains some blue light) during the day is balanced with red light and actually beneficial and necessary for resetting your internal clock.

If you want to get good sleep, you have to have properly aligned circadian rhythms, and step 1 is to make sure you get a sufficient dose of bright light exposure during the daytime. As you will see in my blog here on light. – (Your pineal gland produces melatonin in the contrast of bright sun exposure in the day and complete darkness at night.) See my full blog on sleep here

To help your circadian system reset, get at least 10 to 15 minutes of light first thing in the morning letting your internal clock that day has arrived, making it less likely to be confused by weaker light signals later on. Then noon, get another “dose” of at least 30 minutes’ of sunlight. If not at those times, try for at least 30 minutes at any point in the day.

Other Tips

For Computers

Additionally I use a computer or smart phone, install blue-light-blocking software like Iris (free link below) which automatically alters the color temperature of your screen as the day goes on, pulling out the blue wavelengths.

Driving

You can even wear these glasses outdoors at night if you’ll be traveling in an area with LED streetlights or headlights from other cars (explained in the dangers from the AMA).

Sleeping

Other Tips are to be sure your bedroom is pitch black or wear an eye mask. See 5 herbs for best sleep here

Avoid Screens

Blue ray is a perfect example of what you want to avoid. There are those who even say we are being manipulated by what is offered to us while under blue light as they say it goes right into the brain.

This could suggest why you can’t put your cell phone down, or stop watching the TV. This is why every major indigenous group or higher mind functioning being says not to watch TV as you are being programmed when you do.

To reduce or turn off your phone’s blue light

iPhone

Go to Settings

– Display and brightness

– Then lower brightness, which you can do from the bottom-up control panel

– But more important to reduce blue light, click on night shift, turn it on and set times. I have mine set from 6PM to 11AM

This will eliminate much of the blue light coming from your phone during set times.

If you want to eliminate all of it

Go to Settings

– General

– Accessibility

– Display accommodations

– Click color filter and then turn on color filters 

– Click color tint

– Then put intensity all the way to the right, which will put it to a red color

– Next put hue all the way to the left.

– To turn this on and off automatically, go back to general, then accessibility, then accessibility shortcut, then click color filter, then triple clicking the home button will make this turn on and off.

For android see link here:

Go to settings, display, the blue light filter, and turn it on

Mind Programming you may have noticed

• – You have all this motivation to do something for the next day, or in the future, and you just can’t do it?
• – You are exhausted, want to stop working or go to bed and you can’t shut off your computer or TV.
• – You know when you’re in a bad mood and you don’t know why? Many times you don’t even know what you’re frustrated, impatient, or angry about?

Blue Blocking Glasses Improve Mood

Notice when you start using the blue-blocking glasses if you stop being as moody, temperamental, and irritable as you were.

Antioxidants May Help Protect Your Eyes From Blue Light Exposure

Zeaxanthin is an antioxidant carotenoid found in your retina, responsible for detailed central vision, but it cannot be made by your body, so you must get it from your diet. Lutein is found in your macular pigment, helps protect your central vision and more.

Together, these are believed to serve two primary roles:

1.To absorb excess photon energy

2.Quench free radicals before they damage your lipid membranes

Lutein and zeaxanthin are primarily found in green leafy vegetables, with kale and (cooked) spinach topping the list of lutein-rich foods. You’ll also find these nutrients in orange- and yellow-colored fruits and vegetables. Organic, pastured egg yolks are also a good source.

Data shows vitamin E reduces damage from blue light. It’s estimated nearly 90 percent of Americans do not meet the recommended daily allowance of 15 milligrams per day. Some clinical evidence suggests vitamin E may be beneficial in managing AMD. Some foods that contain high amounts of vitamin E include:

Sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, swiss chard, avocado, turnip greens, asparagus, beet greens, mustard greens

Other nutrients that are of particular benefit for your eyes include astaxanthin and vitamin D, and eating foods high in omega-3 fats and anthocyanins.

IRIS – Iristech.co/

Iris is better because it has three levels of blue blocking below f.lux: dim incandescent, candle and ember. I have been using ember after sunset and measured the spectrum and it blocked nearly all light below 550 nm, which is spectacular.

Summary:

• – Use blue blocking glasses, especially after sunset
• – Install blue-blocking software on digital devices such as IRIS
• – Replace LED lights with incandescent bulbs
• – Sleep in total darkness
• – Eat foods that protect your site