Do Children Need to Wear Blue Block Lenses?

Blue light is all around us daily. It emits from the sun above or while sitting in front of a digital screen for an extended period.

Too much exposure can harm our eye's retina. Children are the most vulnerable of any age group because their natural eye defense has yet to be developed. As a result, parents find themselves asking the same question: If their children need to wear blue block lenses?

What is Blue Light?

Blue light is a high-energy light wave that is part of the spectrum emitted from the sun and artificial light sources such as all smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. Too much exposure to blue light can accelerate macular degeneration of the retina, a deterioration of the eye to provide sharper, clearer vision. Children spend a great deal of time (an average of six hours per day) on the above devices. So, they're susceptible to being exposed to blue light. As a result, parents are looking for solutions to put less strain on their child's eyes.

How Blue Light Damages Children's Eyes

A child's daily digital screen time can jump from a few minutes to hours in the blink of an eye. Parents may get a bit confused by the medical jargon, but they should remain adamant in their approach to protecting their child's eyes from blue light.

Currently, there is no clear-cut evidence that blue light causes permanent eye damage to youngsters. However, excessive blue light emissions will lessen the effectiveness of the eye's cornea and retina. As a result, parents are looking for solutions to ease digital eye strain in their children. In addition, it can disrupt a child's sleeping patterns, which could affect their learning skills inside the classroom.

Common Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain:

• Double vision
• Dry eyes
• Eye fatigue
• Chronic headaches
• Noticeable changes in vision

Options to Protect Your Children From Blue Light

When deciding how to protect your children from blue light, you must first determine the time spent in front of a digital screen. Wearing blue block lenses while using a computer device will lower the odds of a child being exposed to blue light while maintaining good eye health. The lenses are designed to minimize digital eye strain by helping to relax a child's eye. In addition, they filter out approximately 80 percent or more of blue light because the lenses are anti-reflective and tinted to shield against exposure.

Parents need to keep their children on a strict viewing schedule. You will have to take into consideration the amount of time spent on tablets during a school day. Ideally, try to have your children off their devices three hours before their bedtime. Implement a 20/20/20 rule to look 20 feet away for 20 seconds after sitting in front of a digital screen for 20 minutes.

However, adhering to a strict viewing schedule or taking breaks away from a computer device is insufficient to prevent eye strain. Another alternative to limit blue light exposure is applying a screen filter to the front of your child's devices. The filter will absorb all blue light emitted from the digital screen.

Frankly, blue light is everywhere, and blue block lenses might be the best source to protect your children's eyes from too much exposure.