Are Blue Light Glasses Really Worth It?
I’ve had a pair of blue light glasses “saved for later” in my Amazon cart for over a year now. I went back and forth so many times debating whether I should move them to my cart and checkout that I forgot they were there all together. Who knew it would take unemployment during a global coronavirus pandemic for me to finally make the purchase.
Why I Bought a Pair of Blue Light Glasses
With the onset of coronavirus I was forced to leave my dream internship in the city and return home. Experiencing unemployment for the first time while on lockdown in my own home, I split my time equally between binge watching Netflix and eagerly searching LinkedIn.
I was very aware that I was averaging more screen time than ever thanks to the reminder on my iPhone and the convenient “are you still watching?” prompt on Netflix (I mean really who needs the reminder?) But, more than that I felt awful. I attributed it to stress and anxiety, we were in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic after all. However, I began to realize it was more than that.
I was having trouble sleeping, experiencing daily headaches, my eyes were dry, and my eyelids felt so heavy and fatigued.
One day while I was putting together an Amazon order, during the third straight hour of browsing my screen, I had another headache just behind my eyes. I noticed the blue light glasses in my cart and I wondered if they might help. I told myself if it didn’t work out I could always return them. So, I made the purchase.
Blue Light Glasses: The Look
I opted for a round pair with clear rims. A perfect Taylor Swift folklore oversized cardigan mood. They conjured daydreams of wildflowers and woods. Needless to say, when I placed the glasses on the bridge of my nose for the first time I was transformed. I was a character in Taylor Swift’s album, or dare I say Taylor Swift herself. I’d found my alter ego. I finally understood how a simple pair of glasses could transform Superman into Clark Kent. As someone who has always had 20/20 vision, wearing glasses made me feel like a whole new me. I figured that even if they didn’t do anything for my eyes, they at least looked cute and gave my confidence a boost. Simply as a fashion statement they were worth it. Even better, they did do something.
Do Blue Light Glasses Really Work?
There’s a lot of debate as to whether blue light glasses really “protect” your eyes, and the verdict still appears to be out. But, there are many benefits beyond protection that are still worthy in my opinion. I experienced these benefits.
While I can’t say whether the glasses prevented actual damage to my retina, I certainly noticed that they reduced the strain on my eyes ridding me of my headaches and enabling me to sleep better, stay up longer, and feel more alert. And of course, they looked cute.
I would say that wearing blue light glasses seemed to provide me with a similar relief to turning down the brightness on my devices. The glasses seemed to dim the overall intensity of the light and gave my eyes a much needed break. It was similar to the feeling of sunglasses dimming the sunlight. Because my eyes were no longer working so hard straining against the brightness of my devices I was no longer getting headaches, and without the headaches I wasn’t nearly as tired. I felt I had more energy and I could keep my eyes open for longer. Overall, it was a win.
To Buy Blue Light Glasses, Or Not to Buy Blue Light Glasses?
If you’re suffering from chronic headaches or fatigue from injury, I’d encourage you to seek AmnioWell for overall wellness, but if you’ve just begun to experience symptoms during the coronavirus pandemic such as headaches, dry eye, and difficulty sleeping, you might want to try out a pair of blue light glasses.
Take the time to find a pair that match your alter ego and maybe even play some Taylor Swift while you’re at it. We could all use a little bit of an escape, especially now.