The Dangers Of Blue Light

blue lightBlue light, a colour in the “visible light spectrum” that can be seen by the human eye, is everywhere. From the sunshine rays you are soaking up, to your hand held digital devices. The damage it can cause can contribute to many eye problems,one being Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Age-related Macular Degeneration is a progressive eye condition affecting 15 million Americans and many others around the world. It is the leading cause of vision loss as well as blindness. On the light spectrum, sunlight contains many shades of colors with different energy and wavelengths. Blue light rays with short wavelengths and high energy known as blue-violet contribute to invisible rays called ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Too much exposure can lead to sunburn skin and sunburn to the eyes, this condition is known as Photokeratitis. The main source of blue light is from direct sunlight. For those of you that spend the most time outdoors during the day, wearing protective clothing and applying sunscreen to prevent sun damage is recommended. Blue light rays are also found indoors. Flat-screen televisions and computer screens, also emit the fluorescent and LED lighting. The amount of light they emit does not come close to the amount that is emitted by the sun, but rather the amount of time people spend using these devices. Other risks of blue lighting, is digital eyestrain syndrome: blurry vision, difficulty focusing, dry and irritated eyes, headaches and neck. This increases the chance of cancer and can cause permanent eye damage and vision loss. Although blue light could be harmful for your eyes, it is vital to help boost alertness, elevate your mood and increase well- being. So whether you are indoors or outdoors, you are exposing yourself to these rays. Below are some tips that can help you protect your eyes.


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A BRIEF NOTE ABOUT DR. BRIAN

Throughout his highly respected career, cornea specialist Dr. Brian has never wavered with his integrity and dedication to always do the best for each and every patient - even in the face of adversity and peer pressure. Case in point: when he developed a procedure to treat a cornea condition known as Keratoconus. While other eye surgeons were entrenched in performing invasive and painful cornea transplants, Dr. Brian invented a new non-invasive procedure that prevented needing cornea transplants. He was shocked by the medical establishment being unwelcoming to his innovation because, as he later found out, his new procedure was preventing other eye surgeons from performing their lucrative cornea transplants. Dr. Brian persisted, went against the grain and didn’t give up because he believed in himself and in his procedure as it was in the best interest of patients. Eventually, he crossed paths with U.S. Olympic bobsled driver Steven Holcomb who had Keratoconus and became so depressed over it that he tried to commit suicide. Luckily, he survived. The United States Olympic team and his coaches found Dr. Brian and sent Steven to see him. Dr. Brian restored his vision to 20/20 which enabled Steven later win a historic Olympic gold medal for United States in bobsled - the first in 62 years! As a result, Dr. Brian was later invited to give a prestigious TEDx talk about his integrity and dedication to patients. You can watch his moving and inspiring TEDx talk here.

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