Well Spring has finally sprung here in the UK, and with the promise of lockdown restrictions lifting next week, there is a real buzz of excitement in the air.
People have been enjoying the abnormal heatwave this week, and many took to the parks and streets in numbers to get some sun on their face.
Here at Island, we don’t like to play favourites over Summer and Winter, however, if push came to shove, I think we know where we would rather be.
Our company was founded with Summer Island origins, and it is because of this that we wanted to create specs for tech that could be worn inside as well as outside.
Computer Screen Glasses That Can Be Worn Outside
Computer screen glasses have brought relief to millions of people around the globe in the last few years.
With the ramp-up in the number of devices we use in everyday life, our exposure to blue light has also shot up.
Throughout our development of our blue light collection of eyewear, we knew we wanted to keep the Summer-vibe strong in our line up.
That is why we designed special lenses that are able to adapt to sunlight, automatically tinting when they make contact with UV light from the sun.
If you want to learn more about blue light and sunlight, then read on.
What Exactly Is Blue Light?
Computer screen glasses essentially filter out this blue light, meaning our eyes get a break from this high-energy form of visible light.
High-energy blue light is extremely high-intensity light in the dark blue to the turquoise range.
Within the visible spectrum of light, this is usually between 380nm and 550nm, although the intensity of the light tails off around 500nm as it transitions into green light, which has a longer wavelength and is less powerful.
Blue light has the shortest wavelength of any visible light, which means it packs more of a punch, hence why it is a significant contributor to plant growth.
Blue light occurs naturally in the light produced by the sun, however, it contains the full spectrum and the amount of blue light changes during the morning and evening, which is what our bodies are suited to.
Artificial blue light doesn’t have the spectral balance that the sun has, and extended exposure to computer and even fluorescent bulbs can upset our natural rhythm.
What Does Blue Light Do To Humans?
Studies have shown that exposure to blue light at night reduces melatonin levels and disrupts sleep.
Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep and circadian rhythms, and it is directly connected to the sun’s movement.
In the evening, our bodies produce small quantities of melatonin to lull us to sleep, and when we are sleeping our bodies continue to produce this special hormone.
The blue light wavelength is believed to interfere with the process of visual attention and the timing of the circadian rhythm of sleep.
Interestingly, blue light occurs right next to UV light on the spectrum, and transitions from deep blues and purples into non-visible light in the form of Ultra Violet light.
What About UV Light?
Generally, people have a pretty good idea of the dangers of too much Ultra Violet light.
The sun beams down UV light on us during the day, and a bit of UV light can actually be beneficial to our bodies.
Most of us are exposed to UV rays every day from the sun, so much of our daily UV exposure comes without even a thought.
However, when the body is exposed to a lot of UV rays over time, the cumulative effect of these rays over time can cause long-term damage.
UV light can upset our skin cells and cause cancer, but it can also affect our eyes in a number of ways.
Bright sunlight and UV light can cause excessive squinting and can lead to retinal damage because of the brightness.
On top of this, sunlight over years can even darken the whites of our eyes and cause the blood vessels in our eyes to swell up, which can lead to further problems.
Glasses That Can Do Both
Scientists have studied certain types of sunglasses lenses over the years, and more recently blue light blocking glasses for computer screens.
Researchers are learning more and more about blue light and its effects on the human eye every day.
Currently, there are no known cures for retinal damage aside from surgery, but researchers have found ways to treat it and prevent or at least slow the progression.
Sunglasses for bright sunlight and computer screen glasses for artificial blue light seem to be the best way to combat this light exposure, but that means you need two pairs of glasses, right?
Not anymore, thanks to recent development, we have been able to combine blue light filtering technology with transition lenses, to create blue light glasses and sunglasses in one package.
The transition lenses adapt to contact with UV light, so they can be worn indoors when working at a computer, and when you go outside they automatically tint to block sunlight.
This combination is the perfect setup for Summer, where we want to be outside enjoying the sun, but also want to remain productive throughout the working day.
Our transition glasses give you the best of both worlds: blue light glasses and sunglasses in one pair of glasses.
Learn more about our transition blue light lenses here, and watch our lenses react to the sun below.