Blue Light Protection
Everyone knows not to stare at the sun. Its bright light is painful. But the real reason not to stare at the sun is not because of the light you see and the pain you feel, but because of the invisible (to the human eye) UV radiation which can permanently damage your retina, cause Macular Degeneration, and rob you of your eyesight.
The light we are able to see is electromagnetic (EM) energy that is visible to the human eye. There are many types of EM energy that we are unable to see. For example, there's Ultraviolet (UV), Infrared (IR), and Microwave radiation, as well as X-rays, etc.
It is because the sun emits more than just visible light that you are warned to never look at a solar eclipse without special eclipse viewing glasses. During a solar eclipse, most of the sun's light is blocked by the moon but the sun's harmful, unseen UV radiation will still damage your retina. The temptation to look is natural. The usually bright, harsh glare of the sun's light is dimmed to the point where it isn't painful to look at. Unfortunately, just because you don't feel immediate pain does not mean your body isn't being damaged - permanently.
What You Can't See Can Hurt You
Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-rays in 1895. Anyone who has gone to the emergency room for a possible broken limb or has gone to the dentist for a checkup can appreciate that X-rays are a wonderful diagnostic tool. In fact, this significant scientific discovery was awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physics.
In the early days, scientists, doctors, and patients pioneering the use of X-rays - with unregulated dosages - often suffered severe burns and other adverse effects. After all, they must have thought at the time, what harm can unseen and (initially) unpainful radiation cause.
However, sometime after the Second World War, in the 1950s, scientists made it known that there were both short-term and long-term risks associated with this invisible radiation. This is why we limit our X-ray dosage and why we wear lead aprons when being X-rayed. Lead blocks X-ray radiation. Lead aprons shield you from approximately 95 percent of the X-rays scattered during the procedure. The intention is to protect your reproductive and major organs, particularly the thyroid gland, which is especially vulnerable to X-rays.
Remember Suntan Lotion?
Do you remember - or have you ever heard of - suntan oil? Beginning in the 1950s, the iconic Coppertone Girl print ads for Coppertone Suntan Lotion depicted an adorable, tan, little girl with a cute little dog pulling on her bathing suit. The copy read, "Get the Fastest Suntan with Maximum Protection! Tan, Don't Burn!"
Yes, at one time, baking (or more accurately, broiling) in the sun to get a tan was commonplace. Everyone did it. Eventually, the hazards of UV radiation were discovered - skin cancer and retinal damage. And so now when we go to the beach, instead of Suntan Lotion we use Sunscreen and we wear - or should wear - UV400 sunglasses. Ever wonder why so many balding men wear baseball caps? It's often because they don't want to get melanoma (the most dangerous form of skin cancer) on their scalp.
Temporal Chauvinism
It's easy to look back and exhibit what Michael Crichton, the author of "Jurassic Park," called Temporal Chauvinism, which is the incorrect belief that previous generations in the past were ignorant and inferior compared to our amazingly advanced present-day world.
Well, we ain't quite as smart as we would like to think we are. It is a mistake to be smug when it comes to knowledge. There is still so much to learn about our world, our bodies, and our universe. There is always - and will always be - much more to learn. And that is still true in this post-Google/post-Smartphone era where so many mistakenly believe that they are so knowledgeable because they can do a Google search or simply ask Siri to find an answer.
Ah, yes, our brave new world of iPhones, Android Smartphones, iPads, Kindle Tablets, laptops, computers, and digital devices. But what will future generations think of us when they read about how we were unaware - for the longest time, for more than ten years - that we didn't protect ourselves from the hazards from our daily technology.
Some of the greatest dangers to our health are those perils hiding in plain sight. And some of our most beloved possessions are the cause. High Energy Visible (HEV) Blue Light from digital device screens may be the greatest danger to your vision that you may not have heard about.
Blue Light Hazard from Digital Devices
The High Energy Visible (HEV) Blue Light emitted from all digital device LED screens - namely, iPhones, iPods, iPads, Samsung Galaxy and all Smartphones, Kindle Fire and all Tablets, Laptop and Computer Screens - has been discovered to be a factor in:
- Retina damage slowly leading to retinal cell death and loss of vision.
- Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) - which results in a gradual worsening of eyesight and loss of central vision.
- Sleep disorders caused by Blue Light suppressing your body's melatonin production. Disruption of the sleep-wake cycle has been connected to diabetes and possibly obesity.
Bad News . . . Good News
The bad news is that all the damage from HEV Blue Light is painless, cumulative, and as far as retina damage is concerned, permanent. This is especially hazardous to children. Their young eyes receive more than three times the Blue Light than an adult does from the same device. And children are drawn to LED screens like moths to a flame, and like moths, they will refuse to abandon the object of their attraction until either it is extinguished or they get burned.
The good news is that there are two ways to protect your eyes and your children's eyes from HEV Blue Light hazard. The first is at the source of the danger, with LED screen and eye protection; the other is with eyewear protection. If you really want to save your eyesight and theirs, doing nothing is not an option.
Blue Light Protection Solutions
Protect Your Eyes As Well As Your Screen
Reticare Eye and Screen Protectors help shield your eyes from the damaging High Energy Visible Blue Light emitted by digital device LED screens and also protects your screen from scratches. It adheres to the screen and is touch sensitive for easy scrolling.
Don't let your smartphone steal your eyesight.
Make your eye health and your children's eye health a priority. Protect your eyesight and theirs or risk losing it...
Don't allow those amazing digital devices that you and your loved ones love to use - for hours and hours a day - do harm to your eyesight or theirs. Reticare Eye and Screen Protectors help reduce the risk of eye strain; blurred vision; dry eyes; headaches; sleep disorders; and retinal damage, such as Macular Degeneration.
You Save Your Work, Now Save Your Eyes!
When it comes to saving precious computer documents and files, most people are fanatics - with good reason - no one wants to lose any of their work in progress, whether it's a financial spreadsheet or the great American novel.
Saving your work is very important, but saving your eyesight is even more so.
Cocoons Blue-Light Blocker Computer Fitover Eyeglasses make it super simple to deal with the dangers of our digital devices. And they are perfect for both those who wear prescription glasses and those who don't, because they can be worn "as is" or over prescription eyeglasses. And not to worry, they are available in a variety of frame sizes to comfortably fit over your current eyeglasses.
Cocoons is the world's leading manufacturer of professional-grade fitovers. They make optical-grade lenses which have an anti-reflective, chemically-bonded, scratch-resistant coating. They are known throughout the world for their technically advanced, yet fashionably designed, sunglasses and eyewear. Cocoons is designer eyewear without the designer price tag.
Cocoons has a terrific selection of eyewear collections to address different needs. The Cocoons Blue Light Computer Fitover Eyewear Collection filters out both harmful UV light and High Energy Visible (HEV) Blue Light. Wearing a pair of these glasses will reduce headaches, eyestrain, blurred vision, sleep disruption, and eye fatigue from digital screen exposure. Cocoons Computer Eyewear provides 360 degrees of protection with a full undercarriage and maximum-sized peripheral lenses to completely shield your eyes from harmful HEV and UV light.
Whether you spend hours looking at your smartphone, tablet, or computer screen, you owe it to your eyesight to pick up a pair of these superb, beautifully designed, yet surprisingly affordable eye protectors.
