Too much light in the ultraviolet and blue-violet bands can permanently damage the human eye. As well as leading to painful inflammation of the conjunctiva and cornea, it can also cause damage to the eye's crystalline lens (e.g. cataracts) and especially to the retina (macular degeneration). That's why it is so important to wear sunglasses with 100% UV protection in strong sunshine, especially in situations where there is a lot of glare such as on the water or snowy mountain slopes.
What about frequent indoor exposure to light sources with a high proportion of blue light?
Increasing attention is now being paid to the strong blue light component of LEDs, energy-saving bulbs and the radiation emitted by display devices such as smartphones, computer screens, tablets and e-readers.
The good news is that none of the studies carried out so far suggest that using computer displays or staring at these new sources of light for long periods of time damages the retina. And it's important to remember that spending one hour outside on a normal overcast day exposes our eyes to 30 times more blue light than spending one hour inside sitting in front of a screen.
Nonetheless, the fact remains that blue light radiation from light sources or display devices can be irritating or tiring for some people's eyes. This is where ZEISS lenses with DuraVision® BlueProtect can help. They attenuate the blue light in the range from 390 to 440 nm – without compromising the positive properties of blue light in the range from 450 to 500 nm.
