Blue Light sunrays (HEV) cause 30% of Macula Degeneration
5/15/2022 - Optimized for Firefox 100.0
I am NOT a doctor, NOR do I have any medical nor EYE training
Feel free to link to any of my pages
There are two main reasons Blue Light is thought to be
detrimental to your health:
1] Blue Light is estimated to cause 30 % of all Macular Degeneration.
2] Blue Light at night can mess up your circadian rhythm and lower
your body's production of melatonin - possibly effecting both
the amount of sleep you get and the health of your eyes.
Q&A: Why Is Blue Light before Bedtime Bad for Sleep?
Sunglasses should screen out 75% to 90% of visable light.
Sunglasses should be dark, but light enough that you can see your eyes in a
mirror. Look for a uniform tint, although Double Gradient Tinting (extra
tinting at both the TOP and the BOTTOM, can help reduce glare).
Sunglasses are marked with a FILTER CATAGORY from 0-4, where 4 is the
darkest lens. Being dark does NOT ensure good UV ray blockage.
Coatings to block UVA/UVB/UVC rays are COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT
- how dark sunglasses are, does NOT effect how well they block Ultra Violet (UV) rays.
"UV absorption up to 400nm" = the same thing as "100% UV absorption",
which does NOT Block uv400 NOR BLUE LIGHT (HEV) rays.
Sunglasses should block:
1) ultraviolet A,
2) Ultraviolet B
3) Ultraviolet C
AND
4) BLUE LIGHT (400-500 nm) I.e, UVA, UVB, UVC and HEV
IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO FIND SUNGLASSES THAT BLOCK ALL FOUR SPECTRUMS.
I am able to do it by wearing clipon brown sunglasses over my UVA/UVB/UVC
transitions glasses.
Finding one that also blocks Blue Rays will be the most difficult.
Wrap-around sunglasses are recommended (although they do not look as good)
Polarization helps with glare (only).
Mirror Coatings are good, BUT people will HATE talking to you (can't see your eyes).
I wore (2010) HD Vision for the 30 day 6 African Country photo safaris.
They fit over my normal sunglasses and added an amber tint to filter Blue Light.
NOW (2015) I have amber clipon sunglasses that go over my grey tinted transitions lenses.
NOTE - UVA, UVB and UVC blockers are TRANSPARENT and have nothing to do with the lens color.
UV bands UVA, UVB and UVC are called Ultraviolet rays, and are NOT visible to the human eye.
BLUE LIGHT blocking REQUIRES some form of YELLOW in the lens (Brown contains Yellow
and is a composite color made by combining red, black and yellow).
The closer to the Equator you are AND/OR the LESS OZONE there is (Australia), the MORE you
need good sunglasses.
Outdoor Risk Factors
Anyone who spends time outdoors is at risk for eye problems from UV radiation.
Risks of eye damage from UV and HEV exposure change from day to day and depend
on a number of factors, including:
Geographic location. UV levels are greater in tropical areas near the earth's
equator. The farther you are from the equator, the smaller your risk.
Altitude. UV levels are greater at higher altitudes.
Time of day. UV and HEV levels are greater when the sun is high in the sky,
typically from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Setting. UV and HEV levels are greater in wide open spaces, especially when
highly reflective surfaces are present, like snow and sand.
In fact, UV exposure can nearly double when UV rays are reflected from the
snow. UV exposure is less likely in urban settings, where tall buildings
shade the streets.
Medications. Certain medications, such as tetracycline, sulfa drugs, birth
control pills, diuretics and tranquilizers, can increase your body's
sensitivity to UV and HEV radiation.
Surprisingly, cloud cover doesn't affect UV levels significantly.
Your risk of UV exposure can be quite high even on hazy or overcast days.
This is because UV is invisible radiation, not visible light, and can
penetrate clouds.
BLUE LIGHT (HEV = 400 to 500 nm) May help Cause Macular Degeneration
New research suggests the sun's high-energy visible (HEV) radiation - also
called "blue light" - INCREASES your risk of macular degeneration.
HEV rays have longer wavelengths (than UV) - 400-500 nm.
Filtering BLUE LIGHT - glasses and Windows COMPUTERS
Blue Light and Macular Degeneration
"It hypothesized that people who have plenty of melanin and don't tend
to burn easily are at less risk for macular degeneration than people
who burn easily or are bothered by by sun glare."
Blue light has a dark side - Harvard Health Letter
Artificial Lighting and the Blue Light Hazard
Sunglasses - Colors for Low Vision - Macular Degeneration
Ultra-violet and Blue Light - American Macular Degeneration Foundation
Sunglasses For Those With Macular Degeneration
FAQ: Age-Related Macular Degeneration - All About Vision
What color lenses protect my eyes from the blue light?
"Yellow, amber, and brown lenses provide the most protection from the blue color light",
because yellow blocks the Blue Light - any amount of yellow (yellow, amber or brown)
block some amounts of Blue Light - the more yellow, the more it blocks Blue Light.
The best all-around sunglass lenses are often gray or bronze/amber. Gray lenses provide the truest
color perception while bronze lenses enhance colors and offer good definition and depth perception
in bright sunlight - best-sunglasses-for-macular-degeneration - 2013
SEEMS TO LEAVE OUT UVC ???
Since Bronze is a metallic brown color, it should help fiter out HEV rays.
An Ophthalmic Optician says:
"I first heard about this in a CE several years ago. The discussion was on brown vs gray sunlenses,
and the conclusion was that brown was better at filtering out more High Energy Visible light.
I now exclusively wear brown sunlenses, and recommend them to patients. It was discussed here
a while back:" Discussion includes HEV and blocking colors - optiboard.com
Back-and-Forth Controversy on Blue-Filtering IOLs
FAQ: Age-Related Macular Degeneration - All About Vision
Best Sunglasses for Macular Degeneration - Low Vision
Macular Degeneration: cause, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
Sunglasses and Macular Degeneration, Cocoon Sunglasses, Blue Blocks - WEBrn
Blue light inhibits melanin synthesis in B16 melanoma 4A5 cells ...
AMDF: American Macular Degeneration Foundation - Ultra-violet and ...
"Researchers have identified melanin as the substance in the skin,
hair and eyes that absorbs harmful UV and blue light."
"By including synthetic melanin in our sunglasses, we
may be compensating for the melanin lost as we age."
Eye color - Wikipedia
UV Ray & Blue Light Eye Protection
GLARE (Vision)
POLARIZED LENS
Sunglasses - Choose Sunglasses that Look Great and Protect Your Eyes
"The label should read either UV 400 or 100% UV protection.
Sunglasses - Wikipedia
How Sunglasses Work
BLUE LIGHT - HEV = wavelengths 400 to 500 nm
UV400 = UVA and UVB and UVC = wavelengths 100 to 400 nm
UV light is broken into three different types: UVA, UVB and UVC.
UVA = wavelengths(320-400 nm). Slightly blocked by the Earth's ozone layer.
UVB = wavelengths(280-320 nm). Strongly blocked by the Earth's ozone layer.
UVC = wavelengths (100-280 nm). Very Strongly blocked by the Earth's ozone layer.
UV400
UV400 Blocks all UV rays from 100 to 400 nm (UVA, UVB plus UVC).
BUT THEY DO NOT PROTECT AGAINST BLUE LIGHT (HEV = 400 to 500 nm),
which is suspected of being 30% responsbile for Macular Degeneration.
eBay Guides - What Is Ultraviolet UV 400 Protection
BluBlocker.com
HowStuffWorks "Cheap vs. Expensive Sunglasses"
How to travel with sunglasses and eyeglasses on an airplane
How Do Sunglasses Work? - knowledge for protecting eyes
Sunglasses - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
How Do Sunglasses Really Work?
Cheap Sunglasses vs. Designer Sunglasses: Which Offers Better Protection?
UV (UVA, UVB & UVC - ONLY) protectant coating DOES NOT have a color (they are clear).
Blue Light protectant coating require some YELLOW.
GLASSES, reading your prescription, how to measure, etc.
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I am NOT a business of any kind, and make NO money providing this information
There is NOTHING for sale here - Feel free to link to any of my web pages
I am NOT Responsible for any Errors - Use at your own risk
David Woodsmall - Main Web page