Chronic exposure to LED lights can speed up the ageing of retinal tissue, leading to a decline in visual acuity and an increased risk of eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
So, how can I protect my vision from LED exposure? The ANSES report recommends buying “warm white” LED home lighting, limiting your exposure to LED sources with a high concentration of blue light, and avoiding LED screens before bedtime.
Therefore, the best color temperature LED for your eyes is anything in the warm white color temperature range (2700-3000K). Since clarity and contrast is a big part of lessening eye strain, a color-corrected type like our warm white Chromalux® LED might also be a great option!
In studies of LED lighting, blue light exposure was shown to cause the pupils to constrict and lead to ocular deficiencies like blurry and double vision. It can also lead to temporary sensitivity to light for a healthy person and enhanced photophobia for an already-sensitive individual.
It has been shown that our eyes react to the blue light, telling our circadian rhythm to “stay awake”. Similar to the sunlight, blue light signals our brain that it's time to get going. This means that using LED excessively, especially at nighttime can cause eye strain and influence your sleep.
Aside from being energy- and cost-efficient, LEDs offer a safe alternative to traditional bulbs. LED lights are made without the harmful chemical mercury, which you can become exposed to if a traditional bulb in your home breaks. We recommend replacing as many of these bulbs as possible with LED options.
Blue light, the type of bright light that comes from natural sunlight and the LCD/LED screens of our electronic devices, can boost our attention, reaction times and moods during the day. But at night, it disrupts our biological clocks and makes our bodies think we should stay awake when all we need is sleep.
The AMA says that life-long exposure of the retina and lens to blue peaks from LEDs can increase the risk of cataract and age-related macular degeneration. Studies also reveal that light emitted by LEDs can cause retinal changes, if there is high exposure for even a short period of time.
“Because they are digital, LEDs quickly turn on and off hundreds of times a second. This flutter causes our brains to work harder, disrupts the movement of your eyes, and can cause headaches, dizziness, and even nausea.” Fortunately, there are standards for LEDs that limit flickering to acceptable levels.
LED lights are more efficient than fluorescent lights, but they also produce a fair amount of light in the blue spectrum. Richard Hansler, a light researcher at John Carroll University in Cleveland, notes that ordinary incandescent lights also produce some blue light, although less than most fluorescent lightbulbs.
Using eye protection during light therapy treatments, whether using LED or Fluorescent sources, is extremely important for your long term eye health, for many different reasons. Read more below. Light therapy is an incredible treatment that has so many skin benefits.
Yellow light, has been proven effective in protecting the retinas of patients exposed to excessive blue light, since it offers the best contrast.
Warm light is best for the eyes. This includes filtered natural light and light produced by incandescent and LED light bulbs. Spread out lighting in your home and workspace to ensure sufficient lighting.
Blue light blocking glasses are used to counteract the negative effect of artificial light coming from screens and LEDs, which disrupts our circadian rhythm.
Other factors that could contribute to potential eye problems include how long these masks are being worn, what intensity the LED light is, and whether the patient has their eyes open while wearing them. “For any type of light therapy treatment, eye protection, such as blackout goggles, are a must,” Layman says.
But what you might not know is that LED lights can cause migraines and headaches. The reason for this is that LEDs emit short wave, high energy, blue light. This type of light is known to cause headaches, migraines, eye strain and fatigue.
Being exposed to this flickering light creates high levels of stress to the brain as it needs to work extremely hard to process the rapidly changing light signals. This then leads to high levels of adrenaline and cortisol, which in-turn leaves people feeling irritable and anxious.
Scientists think nighttime exposure to blue light throws off your circadian rhythm, or sleep/wake cycle. This could lead to symptoms of depression. That's because your circadian rhythm plays a role in several brain and behavioral processes, like neurotransmission and hormone secretion.
Much like fluorescent lights, LED lights don't provide smooth, continuous light. On the contrary, they put out a high-frequency flicker which is imperceptible to the eye, but can still affect sensitive people. Flickering is known for triggering light sensitivity symptoms, including migraine.
Bright white and cool fluorescent tube bulbs and incandescent bulbs emit the most UV radiation and cause the most damage to your eyes. The problems noted in the 2011 study, mentioned above, were linked to this type of light source.
When we look at a screen, our blink rate drops significantly, thus causing digital eye strain. Signs of digital eye strain include slightly blurry vision after using LCD screens for prolonged periods, headaches, dry or tired eyes. Prolonged usage of LCD screens may be the cause of your migraines.
Most people find that their sleep is improved by darkness. Leaving bright lamps and other lights on throughout the night can harm your ability to fall asleep stay asleep and sleep for an extended period of time since household LED lights generate blue light which suppresses melatonin secretion.
Adding LED lights to any space in your home, whether for creative purposes or so you can get to the bathroom okay at night, is always a plus. It's even better when your LED lights are compact, colorful strips you can easily add anywhere for an astonishing glow.