Blue light glasses : the new solution to myopia ?

(Photograph of blue light being reflected off blue light glasses lens)

According to the Ministry Of Health 65% of Singaporean children are myopic by Primary 6, and 83%
of young adults are myopic. It is even projected that by 2050, 80% to 90% of all Singaporean adults
above 18 years old will be myopic and 15% to 25% of them may have high myopia.These staggering
figures clearly illustrate how prevalent the issue of myopia is, especially in our home country
Singapore.

However, there is still hope.When there is a problem,there is always a solution.Meet what may be
our new solution to myopia -- glasses with blue screen lenses.

Rising popularity
In this digital age, people are constantly fixated on their electronic devices,which have resulted in
an increase in myopia cases.I’m sure we’ve all encountered friends with this issue, or even we
ourselves experience it.

These new glasses, which have specially crafted lenses,are said to block or filter out the blue light
emitted from digital screens. The lenses claim to protect your eyes from glare and can help reduce
potential damage to your retina from prolonged exposure to blue light. They are relatively
inexpensive, priced around the same price as that of normal eye glasses. Nowadays, they can be
found at any pharmacy, whether it be a Watson, Guardian or Unity store.According to
360ResearchReports, a market research company, the global market for blue light eyewear will
increase to $28 million by 2024, up from $19 million in 2020.With these remarkable claims and
widespread availability, it is no wonder that the sales of these glasses have been increasing over
the past few years.I too, am no stranger to this pair of glasses, having bought them myself with the
hope to maintain my good eyesight.

Blue light glasses :fact or fiction ?

Yet, the effectiveness of the blue light glasses on myopia are still debatable.

Since the blue light glasses are a relatively new invention, there has been insufficient research to
back up this claim nor disagree with it.Even experts have mixed opinions.

For example, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the purchase of these
blue light glasses are unnecessary.They argue that the blue light glasses will have little impact as “
the small amount of blue light coming from computer screens has never been shown to cause any
harm to our eyes.”Instead of blue light toxicity, people may be experiencing symptoms from overusing
technology. Computer vision syndrome, or digital eye strain, is a group of eye and vision problems that
result from chronic exposure to screens.The AAO also stated that “Digital eye strain is not caused by
blue light. The symptoms of digital eye strain are linked to how we use
our digital devices, not the blue light coming out of them”, implying
that the true cause of myopia is not the device itself but rather our own
habits and duration of usage.

However, many opticians at optical stores still continue to recommend

blue light glasses as a blue light reduction technique if a person has a
long screen time.This is because of clients' positive remarks about the blue light glasses,stating
that they do benefit from them.

Some of my classmates who struggle with myopia and own these blue light glasses also testify that
these glasses have helped them maintain their degree and prevent it from worsening.“These pair of
blue light glasses,I feel, have allowed me to do work on my chromebook without affecting my
already bad eyesight”,one of them said.

Should you still buy them ?

All in all, I feel like the choice is up to the consumer.While there are mixed results of the
effectiveness of the blue light glasses, at the end of the day, it depends on the consumer’s results
and opinion.These blue light glasses may help some people in dealing with myopia,but might not be
as effective for others.So, who would like to try it out ?After all, there is no harm in trying out a new
solution, especially one that has the potential to solve a nationwide problem.
Written by : Sienna Yang
Acknowledgements & References :
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20210115/do-blue-light-glasses-work#:~:text=Researchers%
20agree%20that%20blue%20light,in%20their%20nighttime%20melatonin%20levels.

https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/blue-light-digital-eye-strain

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/do-blue-light-blocking-glasses-actually-work