As more people work remotely and children participate in distance-learning, time spent in front of screens has skyrocketed. The backlit displays from smartphones, tablets and computer screens almost all use LED lights, which emit light on the blue spectrum. The verdict is out as to whether increased blue light exposure from screens actually causes adverse effects. But there are claims that it can cause various issues, including blurred vision, eye strain, fatigue, headache, and sleeping problems. So you should be prepared to answer questions about blue light supplements – products marketed to combat these effects.
A variety of new blue light supplements are being marketed to both children and adults. Viteyes Blue Light Defender Kids and MaculaPF Blue Light Protection are two examples. These types of products typically contain a variety of ingredients, including riboflavin, lutein, and astaxanthin. Early research shows that taking a combination product containing lutein might help eye strain, but it’s unclear if it helps protect against blue light exposure specifically. When it comes to riboflavin and astaxanthin, they’ve been studied for other eye conditions such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but there’s no clinical data supporting their use for blue light exposure. If patients ask about these or similar products, tell them that while there aren’t any major safety concerns, there isn’t any strong evidence that they help. So, they might be wasting their money.
While it’s not clear if supplements will help, there are some steps patients can take to minimize eye strain due to screen use. Tell patients to take breaks from looking at the screen. If they have long meetings or classes online, suggest they shift their focus away from the screen every 20 minutes to an object 20 feet away, for 20 seconds – the “20-20-20” rule. Also recommend turning down screen brightness, and setting smartphones and tablets to nighttime modes. Moisturizing eye drops might also help relieve eye strain and dryness. Lastly, for those struggling with sleep issues, recommend parents and children alike turn all screens off about 2 hours before bed.
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