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Do blue-light glasses really work? Can they reduce eye strain or help me sleep?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-downie-1469379">Laura Downie</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Blue-light glasses are said to <a href="https://www.baxterblue.com.au/collections/blue-light-glasses">reduce eye strain</a> when using <a href="https://www.blockbluelight.com.au/collections/computer-glasses">computers</a>, improve your <a href="https://www.ocushield.com/products/anti-blue-light-glasses">sleep</a> and protect your eye health. You can buy them yourself or your optometrist can prescribe them. But <a href="https://mivision.com.au/2019/03/debate-continues-over-blue-blocking-lenses/">do they work</a>? Or could they do you harm? We <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD013244.pub2/full">reviewed</a> the evidence. Here’s what we found. <h2>What are they?</h2> Blue-light glasses, blue light-filtering lenses or blue-blocking lenses are different terms used to describe lenses that reduce the amount of short-wavelength visible (blue) light reaching the eyes. Most of these lenses prescribed by an optometrist decrease blue light transmission by <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/opo.12615">10-25%</a>. Standard (clear) lenses do not filter blue light. A wide variety of lens products are available. A filter can be added to prescription or non-prescription lenses. They are widely marketed and are becoming <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/opo.12615">increasingly popular</a>. There’s often an added cost, which depends on the specific product. So, is the extra expense worth it? <h2>Blue light is all around us</h2> Outdoors, sunlight is the main source of blue light. Indoors, light sources – such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and the screens of digital devices – emit varying degrees of blue light. The amount of blue light emitted from artificial light sources is much lower than from the Sun. Nevertheless, artificial light sources are all around us, at home and at work, and we can spend a lot of our time inside. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Blue light-filtering lenses block some blue light from screens from reaching the eye" /></a><figcaption>Screens emit blue light. The lenses are designed to reduce the amount of blue light that reaches the eye. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/blue-light-blocking-ray-filter-lens-2286229107">Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> Our research team at the University of Melbourne, along with collaborators from Monash University and City, University London, sought to see if the best available evidence supports using blue light-filtering glasses, or if they could do you any harm. So we conducted a <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD013244.pub2/full">systematic review</a> to bring together and evaluate all the relevant studies. We included all randomised controlled trials (clinical studies designed to test the effects of interventions) that evaluated blue light-filtering lenses in adults. We identified 17 eligible trials from six countries, involving a total of 619 adults. <h2>Do they reduce eye strain?</h2> We found no benefit of using blue light-filtering lenses, over standard (clear) lenses, to reduce eye strain with computer use. This conclusion was based on consistent findings from three studies that evaluated effects on eye strain over time periods ranging from two hours to five days. <h2>Do they help you sleep?</h2> Possible effects on sleep were uncertain. Six studies evaluated whether wearing blue-light filtering lenses before bedtime could improve sleep quality, and the findings were mixed. These studies involved people with a diverse range of medical conditions, including insomnia and bipolar disorder. Healthy adults were not included in the studies. So we do not yet know whether these lenses affect sleep quality in the general population. <h2>Do they boost your eye health?</h2> We did not find any clinical evidence to support using blue-light filtering lenses to protect the macula (the region of the retina that controls high-detailed, central vision). None of the studies evaluated this. <h2>Could they do harm? How about causing headaches?</h2> We could not draw clear conclusions on whether there might be harms from wearing blue light-filtering lenses, compared with standard (non blue-light filtering) lenses. Some studies described how study participants had headaches, lowered mood and discomfort from wearing the glasses. However, people using glasses with standard lenses reported similar effects. <h2>What about other benefits or harms?</h2> There are some important general considerations when interpreting our findings. First, most of the studies were for a relatively short period of time, which limited our ability to consider longer-term effects on vision, sleep quality and eye health. Second, the review evaluated effects in adults. We don’t yet know if the effects are different for children. Finally, we could not draw conclusions about the possible effects of blue light-filtering lenses on many vision and eye health measures, including colour vision, as the studies did not evaluate these. <h2>In a nutshell</h2> Overall, based on relatively limited published clinical data, our review does not support using blue-light filtering lenses to reduce eye strain with digital device use. It is unclear whether these lenses affect vision quality or sleep, and no conclusions can be drawn about any potential effects on the health of the retina. High-quality research is needed to answer these questions, as well as whether the effectiveness and safety of these lenses varies in people of different ages and health status. If you have eye strain, or other eye or vision concerns, discuss this with your optometrist. They can perform a thorough examination of your eye health and vision, and discuss any relevant treatment options.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213145/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-downie-1469379">Laura Downie</a>, Associate Professor in Optometry and Vision Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-blue-light-glasses-really-work-can-they-reduce-eye-strain-or-help-me-sleep-213145">original article</a>.

Body

Brain strain: neurological effects of COVID and vaccines compared

Concerns about the side-effects of COVID vaccinations have been amplified during the current pandemic by both the vast quantity of data that’s accumulating, and traditional- and social-media coverage. Rare blood clots resulting from first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1nCoV-19) vaccine have been most prominently revealed. As a result there have been changes to the age range of people administered AstraZeneca vaccine, and in a few instances its suspension from national vaccination programs. Now, a nationwide study of 32 million adults in England has revealed an increased, but low, risk of the rare neurological conditions Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and Bell’s palsy following a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The study also revealed an increased, but low, risk of hemorrhagic stroke following a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) vaccine. However, the research, <a rel="noopener" href="/t%20%20https:/doi.org/10.1038/%20s41591-021-01556-7" target="_blank">published</a> in Nature Medicine, also revealed a substantially higher risk of seven neurological outcomes, including GBS, after a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. “Crucially, we found that the risk of neurological complications from [COVID] infection was substantially higher than the risk of adverse events from vaccinations in our population,” the authors wrote. “[F]or example, 145 excess cases versus 38 excess cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome per 10 million exposed in those who had a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and [AstraZeneca]-19 vaccine, respectively.” <blockquote> “The risks of adverse neurological events following SARS-CoV-2 infection are much greater than those associated with vaccinations” </blockquote> Cosmos has <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/adverse-reactions-guillain-barre-tts-and-the-fine-mesh-net/" target="_blank">reported</a> on the extraordinarily fine-mesh approach to monitoring vaccine side-effects in Australia, which as of early September had been unable to establish a clear link between GBS and AstraZeneca shots. All Australians vaccinated for COVID thus far have received one of the two vaccines examined in the new research, and their efficacy has been widely confirmed. The study – a collaboration between several English and Scottish institutions – made its findings among English adults, which was then replicated in an independent national cohort of more than three million Scottish people. The authors anticipate that these results will inform risk–benefit evaluations for vaccine programs as well as clinical decision-making and resource allocation for these rare neurological complications. They conclude their findings are likely to be of relevance to other countries, but that more studies need to be done. “We believe that these findings are likely to be of relevance to other countries using these vaccines and it would be useful to replicate these results in similarly large datasets internationally,” wrote the authors, in conclusion. “Importantly, the risks of adverse neurological events following SARS-CoV-2 infection are much greater than those associated with vaccinations, highlighting the benefits of ongoing vaccination programs.”  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=170617&title=Brain+strain%3A+neurological+effects+of+COVID+and+vaccines+compared" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/side-effects-of-covid-and-vaccines/" target="_blank">This article</a> was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/cosmos-editors" target="_blank">Cosmos</a>. Image: Wikimedia Commons </div>

Mind

Delta variant more infectious than Wuhan strain, study finds

A new study from the UK has found that the Delta strain of COVID-19 is eight times less sensitive to vaccine antibodies than the original Wuhan strain. The study also found that changes to the spike protein in the Delta variant improved its ability to replicate and enter cells, in comparison to the Kappa variant. The authors say this might explain how the Delta strain has become the most dominant variation of the disease. The study, published in the journal <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03944-y" target="_blank">Nature</a>, compared the mutated Delta variant against the mutated Wuhan-1 variant which was used to develop the vaccines. The team, led by Ravindra Gupta, a professor of clinical microbiology at the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, also analysed infections of 130 healthcare workers across three hospitals in Delhi, India, over six weeks. Though each of the workers studied had received both doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the researchers found that the vaccine was less effective against the Delta variant than other variants. “By combining lab-based experiments and epidemiology of vaccine breakthrough infections, we’ve shown that the Delta variant is better at replicating and spreading than other commonly-observed variants,” Professor Gupta <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/spread-of-delta-sars-cov-2-variant-driven-by-combination-of-immune-escape-and-increased-infectivity" target="_blank">said</a>. Joint senior author Dr Patha Rakshit from the National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, India, said: “The Delta variant has spread so widely to become the dominant variants worldwide because it is faster to spread and better at infecting individuals than most other variants we’ve seen. “It is also better at getting around existing immunity - either through previous exposure to the virus or vaccination - though the risk of moderate to severe disease is reduced in such cases.” Professor Anurag Agrawal from the CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, India and joint senior author said the infection of healthcare workers with the Delta variant could have severe consequences. “Although they themselves may only exhibit mild COVID, they risk infecting individuals who have suboptimal immune responses to vaccination due to underlying health conditions - and these patients could then be at risk of severe disease,” Professor Agrawal said. With their findings, Gupta and his colleagues say we will need to develop strategies for boosting the effectiveness of vaccines against variants of COVID-19. “We urgently need to consider ways of boosting vaccine responses against variants among healthcare workers,” Professor Agrawal added. “[This research] also suggests infection control measures will need to continue in the post-vaccine era.”

Body

Former aide reveals Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother’s “strained relationship”

While it may seem as though the details of the Royal Family’s life is information readily available at the public’s disposal, it can be difficult to really know what goes on behind closed doors. However, it has become a custom for a former employee or insider to come forward with interesting information we might not have guessed without their stories or experiences. This has been the case with Queen Elizabeth’s longtime dresser, Angela Kelly, and more recently Lady Anne Glenconner in her new memoir. Glenconner served as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret for many years and developed a close relationship, she described in Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown. In her own words, Glenconner described personal experiences and interactions she shared serving under and alongside the Royal Family. In the memoir, the former lady-in-waiting spoke on Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother, who buy her own accounts, “had a slightly strained relationship.” "Those weekends at Royal Lodge were always fun, despite the bouts of bickering between the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret,” she said, per <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1203465/lady-glenconner-princess-margaret-queen-mother-strained-relationship-spt" target="_blank">Express</a> "One would do things like open all the windows, only for the other to go around shutting them. Or one would suggest an idea and the other would dismiss it immediately." Glenconner speculated they didn’t get along all the time because they might have been “too similar.” “...I don’t think it is an unusual predicament for a mother and daughter," she wrote. Referring to the family’s loss of King George VI, and the “figurative” loss of Queen Elizabeth, who assumed the throne after her father died, Glenconner said: "And while they had been part of a foursome originally, they were left as the spare pair, to a certain extent." The former royal employee also wrote about a conversation she shared with Princess Margaret. After noting the royal looked upset at her sister’s coronation, the Princess replied: "Of course I looked sad, Anne. “I had just lost my beloved father and, really, I had just lost my sister, because she was going to be so busy and had already moved to Buckingham Palace, so it was just me and the Queen Mother." Scroll through the gallery to see Princess Margaret with the Queen Mother throughout the years of their life.

Relationships

Maddox Jolie-Pitt breaks silence on strained relationship with dad Brad Pitt

Maddox Jolie-Pitt has opened up about his dad Brad Pitt, giving a brief insight into the difficulty of their relationship. It seems their relationship hasn’t improved, he admitted in a rare interview about his famous father. The 18-year-old who is studying biochemistry at Yonsei University in South Korea, said on film obtained by In Touch Weekly that he wasn’t sure if his father would visit him while he is studying abroad. “I don’t know about that [or] what’s happening,” he told a reporter. Maddox also spoke on their relationship being over or improving to which he said “Well, whatever happens, happens”. Reports show Maddox and his 55-year-old Hollywood heavyweight father had a falling out in 2016 after an incident aboard a private plane. Allegedly, Pitt hit his eldest son in a rage - a few days later, his wife Angelina Jolie filed for divorce. Pitt fell under investigation by US authorities after being accused of physically and verbally abusing his children during an angry outburst, TMZ reported in September 2016. Pitt vehemently denied allegations of violence against his children, however he did admit to screaming at his son. The FBI cleared Pitt of any violent wrongdoings and said they would not file charges against him. 44-year-old Angelina dropped Maddox off at university in August. Together, Brad and Angelina share six children; Maddox, Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 13, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 11. Scroll through the gallery above to see the Jolie-Pitt family.

Movies

5 tips to stop eye strain from phones and tablets

If you’ve ever spent a block of time staring at your smart phone or tablet, you’ll know the impact it can have on your eyes. Tired, itchy dry eyes and even blurred vision and headaches are all modern afflictions caused by overuse of our favourite devices. Here are 5 quick and easy ways to give your eyes a break. 1. Blinking Blinking often helps keep your eyes moist which reduces dryness and irritation. Keep your eyes well lubricated by blinking 10-15 times every 20 minutes or so. 2. Take a break Stick to the 20-20-20 rule. This concept encourages you to take a break from looking at your screen every 20 minutes for 20 seconds while looking at something 20 feet (about six meters) away. This helps relax your eye muscles and gives them a much needed “focus” break. 3. Adjust your brightness If you’ve ever accidently turned the brightness down on your phone and wondered why you were straining so hard to see clearly, you’ll know the impact it has on your eyes. Having your screen to bright or too dark stresses your eyes and makes focusing difficult. Make sure you adjust brightness accordingly in your settings if you feel as if it isn’t quite right for your eyes. 4. Keep your screen clean We often forget to do it but regularly wiping down your smartphone screen with a damp cleaning cloth helps remove distracting dust, fingerprints and smudges. 5. Tweak your text size Adjust your smartphone text contrast and size can provide much needed relief making it easier to read web content, emails and other messages on your screen. How do you ensure your eyes are safe from the strain of your devices? Let us know in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/health/body/2016/05/things-to-do-to-avoid-eye-strain/">4 things you can do to avoid eye strain</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/05/the-brick-wall-optical-illusion-fooling-everyone/">The brick wall optical illusion fooling everyone</a> <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/04/the-reason-we-close-our-eyes-when-we-kiss/">The reason we close our eyes when we kiss</a>

Body

4 things you can do to avoid eye strain

Although our eyes are typically able to function all day long, as we age, they get tired more easily. The good new is there are simple things you can do to ensure that you are as easy on your eyes as possible while not changing up your routine too much. 1. Blink more Blinking provides a break for our eyes, but is often disregarded as we rarely think about it. Blinking lubricates your eyes by spreading your tears evenly along your eyes. It can also help with eye strain caused by dryness. To help with this, train yourself to blink more often to prevent dryness. Put reminders somewhere near you so you'll be reminded to do this. 2. Exercise your eyes muscles To help strengthen your eye muscles, you should exercise them. To do this, roll your eyes slowly side to side, up and down, and on the diagonals. Repeat this three to five times. Perform these exercises a couple of times each day, especially if you are working for long periods of time. 3. Create the best lighting in your home You want to create an environment conducive to what is comfortable. Use incandescent lighting and avoid high-intensity lamps, which cast shadows and create glares unnecessarily. Place dim lights in darker corners of the room to create equal brightness without dark, shadowed areas. 4. Make sure you have the right glasses Make sure your eyeglasses have the proper prescription. You can check with your eye doctor if you are unsure. If you wear bifocals, you might tilt your head at an awkward angle when using your computer, tablet, phone or reading a book. If this is the case, talk to your eye doctor to see if progressive lenses may work better. Related links: <a href="/health/eye-care/2016/01/at-home-eye-exercises-for-better-vision/">5 at-home eye exercises for better vision</a> <a href="/health/eye-care/2016/01/eye-drops-could-reverse-cataracts/">Eye drops could reverse cataracts</a> <a href="/health/eye-care/2015/11/eye-colour-change-with-age/">Your eyes change colour as you age</a>

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Do blue-light glasses really work? Can they reduce eye strain or help me sleep?

Brain strain: neurological effects of COVID and vaccines compared

Delta variant more infectious than Wuhan strain, study finds

Former aide reveals Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother’s “strained relationship”

Maddox Jolie-Pitt breaks silence on strained relationship with dad Brad Pitt

5 tips to stop eye strain from phones and tablets

4 things you can do to avoid eye strain