Watch the short video below to see the importance of having a comprehensive eye exam with your eye doctor every year.
Blue light is both harmful and beneficial to vision and health. Blue light, also known as High Energy Visible (HEV) Light, is the highest energy light ranging from 380nm to 500nm within the visible spectrum. Blue light in the higher range is beneficial and provides for the correct functioning of the Circadian Rhythm (sleep/wake cycle), memory and cognitive performance. Blue light in the lower range, which is violet-blue in color, is considered harmful and over time with accumulated exposure can cause damage to the eye lens and retinal cells. It can also reduce contrast and decrease sharpness and clarity of vision. Today’s blue blocking lenses filter out high energy blue light that is harmful to retinal cells and contribute to AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration). They are designed to protect the eyes from harmful blue light emitted by fluorescent and CFL lightbulbs, computers, smart phones, tablets, television and other electronic devices. Additionally, they also improve contrast, night vision, depth and color perception, reduce glare, help to maintain a natural color balance and reduce eye fatigue as well as impaired visual acuity. Being in the presence of blue light at night disrupts the body’s natural Circadian Rhythms by suppressing the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone. Melatonin is also an anti-oxidant that appears to play a role in the slowing down the progression of cancer and other diseases such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease. There are different lenses available that block blue light. Blue Tech lenses are infused with melanin, a natural pigment found in the iris of the eye, to help filter out high energy UVA/UVB blue light while still letting “good” light in. Since the lenses are infused, the melanin is able to selectively filter out harmful blue-violet light while still allowing the longer wavelengths of beneficial blue-turquoise light to filter through, allowing patients to maintain clarity for the best possible vision at all times. Due to the yellow tint on the permanent lenses, often times these lenses are not acceptable due to their cosmetic appearance. Laboratories have developed an anti-reflective coating that is able to eliminate the harmful blue light. Due to its ability to reflect this blue light and not allow it to enter the lens, the coating will often have a bluish-purple hue. Our patients have found this to be more cosmetically appealing than the yellow tint. Optometrics recommends that all patients, including those that have no prescription, wear lenses that block out blue light when working on electronic devices. Children in particular should be wearing these lenses since they will have many years of accumulated exposure to this harmful light. Do not hesitate to call or stop by as we can answer all of your questions regarding blue light. Let's face it; we've all broken (or at least slightly bent) the rules laid out for contact lens wear at one point or another. Whether its using the same pair of contacts for longer than they were prescribed or using water to rinse them when we've run out of solution, we're all guilty of occasionally disregarding our optometrist's instructions. But really, what could be the harm if our lapses in hygiene are fairly infrequent?
As it turns out, those minor lapses could hurt you more than you think. The information might not be pretty, but a 2013 article that appeared in the Huffington Post outlines some of the dangers that you're at risk for when you don't use proper contact lens care. Click on the button for the full article. Some of the information may convince you to pay attention the next time your optometrist tells you not to sleep in your contact lenses... What Every Contact Lens Wearer Needs To Know (But Is Afraid To Ask) Optometrics of Chatsworth acquires new technology preventing Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD)3/13/2015 Optometrics of Chatsworth has added the QuantifEye MPS II from ZeaVision, the most reliable and accurate device currently available for assessing low macular pigment, the key risk factor in AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) and other visual performance challenges. The QuantifEye is revolutionary in that it takes preventative care to an entirely new level by assessing risk factors so as to allow changes in lifestyle to ultimately increase macular pigment.
Macular Pigment is the protective layer in the eye that guards the visual cells from UV (ultraviolet) and blue light, preventing vision loss. The QuantifEye MPS II works by tracking the safest amount of blue light that an eye can absorb, giving patients a "score" that indicates their MPOD (Macular Pigment Optical Density) and allowing them to gauge their risk of developing AMD. If the MPOD score is low, a patient is then counseled as to the appropriate steps to take in order to increase pigmentation. These steps include discussion of nutrition, blue filters added on eyeglass lenses as well as supplementation. Research has shown that increasing macular pigment provides other benefits such as better color and light sensitivity, shape discrimination, and improved night driving abilities. In fact, thirteen major league baseball teams have markedly increased visual processing speed after taking supplementation designed to increase macular pigment. The actual testing is quick and affordable, only taking a few minutes with a cost of less than $20. Dr. Chriqui recommends that all patients over the age of 21 take the test at least once to establish a baseline and set a precedent for themselves of healthy habits. Optometrics of Chatsworth has always put an emphasis on preventative car, resulting in happy patients that have obtained the best quality of vision possible. No appointment is necessary to take the MPOD test. Simply stop into the office any time during business hours and request one. We look forward to seeing you soon! Additional information and links to research can be found on the ZeaVision website. |