September 8, 2019 - Macular Degeneration
Hey folks, it’s Dr. Sam, and I received a question today from Sarah: What’s the difference between a blue blocker tint versus a filter?
So what I have on right now is a blue blocking filter. You can see it isn’t orange or yellow. I find that when you get a yellow or orange tint it actually creates a discoloration, and it’s also difficult to see print when you’re trying to read it – especially at night.
So wearing a blue blocking filter both in the day and the evening is a great thing to do. The most critical period is after 6:00 p.m. because this is when the blue light can start to suppress our melatonin production and affect our sleep. Also long exposures of blue light may affect our eye tissue, and it can cause things like eye strain eye fatigue and even headaches.
I’d like to make two more points, If you are outside, you will be exposed to blue light from the sun. So my recommendation there is to get a pair of sunglasses made up with UV protection and also the blue blocking filter. One last point: In your diet, it’s very important to get enough lutein, zeaxanthin, and aztaxanthin. These carotenoids act like a filtering system to protect your eyes against the blue light. So Sarah, thank you so much for the question. Take care.