Blue Light Filter Essay

847 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Permissive effect of melatonin

What is a blue light filter?
The evidence just keeps on piling up – excessive exposure to blue light is harmful. Blue light suppresses the production of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone produced by the brain’s pineal gland. While this is a welcome effect during the day, exposure to blue light at night suppresses sleep and can lead to insomnia, fatigue and general disruption of the sleep cycle. Furthermore, this lack of sleep can also cause other far-reaching effects of your general well-being. Blue light is also associated with eyestrain and permanent damage to the eyes which may contribute to the occurrence of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). This is because blue light has the highest amount of energy in the visible spectrum and is therefore able to penetrate into the deeper layers of the eye and cause long-lasting damage. …show more content…

Natural blue light filter
It may interest you to know that our eyes contain a natural blue light filter. This natural filter is the macular pigment. It’s a yellow spot found in the central layer of the retina in the eyes that protects the macula of the eye which is where light is focused and the image is sharpest. The macula is also the most photosensitive region of the eye which makes it particularly prone to damage done by blue light, hence the need of a blue light filter in the first place.

True to form, this macula pigment absorbs light virtually only in the blue light spectrum, preventing it from reaching sensitive photoreceptors. However, the macular pigment density and its ability to filter blue light varies from person to person which is why some people are more sensitive to light than others. Fortunately, the amount of macular pigment isn’t necessarily set in stone. You can increase the quantity of macular pigment in your eyes by consuming a diet rich in green leafy vegetables. You could also turn to supplements of the carotenoids which make up macular pigment – lutein, zeaxanthin and

Show More
Related

  • Radiolab Episode Colors

    751 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Radiolab episode “Colors,” Adam Cole hosts Jay Neitz, a neurologist and color vision researcher at the University of Washington, to discuss colorblindness in primates and humans. Neitz hypothesizes that the test they used to cure colorblindness in squirrel monkeys could also cure the same disorder in humans. Colorblindness is a genetic disorder that causes the cones in the eye to perceive colors differently. In the back of the eye lies the retina that holds three photoreceptor cells called cones. Each cone is sensitive to either red, green, or blue and when functional, allows the brain to process the different wavelengths of color. Humans and some primates have two genes on the X Chromosome that encodes visual pigments, one holds green

    Read More

  • Essay On Color Guard

    541 Words  | 2 Pages

    The LWC Color Guard depends on the capability of its captains and how well they can do their job as a section leader. A leader, in general, is someone who many people look to for advice, instruction, motivation, and most importantly, encouragement. This means that it is important for a leader to have the ability to make difficult decisions and do what is best for the color guard. An essential job of a leader is to guide others as well as being an example of a hard, passionate, and dedicated worker. Some qualities that are necessary for a color guard captain are compassion, character, and courage.

    Read More

  • Blue Light Acne Treatment

    934 Words  | 2 Pages

    This treatment involves the use of high density and a narrow band of blue light to treat mild to moderate acne. When this treatment is used for treating the acne, the blue light rays kills the acne causing bacteria from inside the oil producing glands and stop the breakouts. The blue light acne treatment can be given alone through several systems that are available in the medical market or in combination with a topical photosensitizing solution along with a laser therapy for the same.

    Read More

  • The Dilemma of Macular Degeneration

    2286 Words  | 5 Pages

    Ruckmann, Adrea von, Fitzke, Fredrick W., & Bird, Alan C., (1997). Fundus autofluorescence in age related macular disease imaged with a laser scanning opthalmoscope. Investigative Opthamology and Visual Science, 38 (2), 478-485.

    Read More

  • The Evolution of Human Skin Color

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    Melanin helps reduce the absorption of wavelengths into the skin (Chaplin, Jablonski, 59). The more melanin in the skin, the greater the protection against harmful UV rays, and the amount of melanin in the skin correlates with the skin’s color (more melanin means darker skin)....

    Read More

  • Essay On Albinism

    809 Words  | 2 Pages

    People that have problems with vision due to albinism can’t fix their vision completely with glasses or contact lenses. The problems start in the eyes with poor development. Albinism reduced the pigment of the colored part of the eyes (iris) and the light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). They will not see things sharp and will have fast eye movement that can’t be controlled (nystagmus) and very sensitive to bright lights (photophobia). They could also have...

    Read More

  • Thin Blue Line Essay

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The thin blue line” is a phrase that many people have heard of yet do not fully understand. It is a name that applies to law enforcement officers and their essential role in society. It shows support to the living law enforcement officers and commemorates the fallen ones. It is usually presented as any black shape or object with a blue line through the middle. The half above the blue line represents the general public and law abiding citizens, and the half below the blue line represents the criminals. The thin blue line symbolizes the officers. The idea behind it is that the police officers are the only thing separating the public from the criminal element of society (Flosi 2016). They work tirelessly to keep these two groups

    Read More

  • Melanin

    1912 Words  | 4 Pages

    Human pigmentation is influenced by hemoglobins within blood vessels in the skin, carotene and melanins. Melanin, the basis of pigmentation, can be found in the forms of eumelanin and phaeomelanin. Eumelanin is the brown-black pigment located in the skin, hair, and eyes. Phaeomelanin is a yellow to reddish-brown pigment found in small quantities within the skin, eyes, and red hair. Because of these two pigments, to a greater or lesser degree, we have the variation in human pigmentation that is seen today.

    Read More

  • Macular Degeneration

    1727 Words  | 4 Pages

    Macular degeneration in general can affect many people in minor or drastic ways. People who experience this form often complain of vision loss when they are in dim light, especially when they are reading. The "dry" type is often characterized by a more gradual loss of vision compared to the "wet" type. Signs of this disease include an increase in drusen, which is an accumulation of a yellow-white substance, in the underside of the macular retina. A loss of cells can be seen in the macula. The macula is our sensitive sight region, where intricate detail can be seen. Thus, vision in this area is helpful and necessary to drive, read, focus on small details, and recognize familiar faces. The macula is located in the back of the eye known as the retina. The macula is only about 5 mm in diameter, and includes the fovea, which gives us our detailed central vision. If a person suffers from the "dry" form in one eye they will be more likely to develop it in the other eye as well.

    Read More

  • School Should Begin Later in the Day

    395 Words  | 1 Pages

    There are also risks involved with not getting enough sleep. Most people will be very sleepy and drowsy during the day, mood and behavioral problems. and even increased vulnerability to drugs and alcohol. These things could also develop into more serious sleep disorders.

    Read More

  • Albinism

    486 Words  | 1 Pages

    People with ocular albinism, which only the eye lacks melanin pigment, while everything else appears normal. People who have this have a variety of the eye disorders because of the lack of pigment impairs normal eye development. These effected are extremely sensitive to bright light. Treatment for ocular albinism includes the use of visual aids and surgery for strabismus.

    Read More

  • The Bluest Eye Theme Essay

    1858 Words  | 4 Pages

    In “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, the audience is shown the skewed idea of beauty and how whiteness in the 1940s was the standard of beauty. This idea of beauty is still prevalent today which is why the novel is powerful and relevant. Narrated by a nine year old girl, this novel illustrates that this standard of beauty distorts the lives of black people, more specifically, black women and children. Not only was it a time when being white was considered being superior, being a black woman was even worse because even women weren’t appreciated and treated as equal back then. Set in Lorain, Ohio, this novel has a plethora of elements that parallels Toni Morrison’s personal life. The population in Lorain back then was considered to be ethnically asymmetrical, where segregation was still legal but the community was mostly integrated. Black and white children could attend the same schools and neighborhoods by then would be inhabited by a mix of black and white families. The theme of race and beauty is portrayed through the lives of three different families and stories told by the characters: Claudia, Pecola, and Frieda. Through the exploration of the families’ and character’s struggles, Morrison demonstrates the horrid nature of racism as well as the caustic temperament of the suppressed idea of white beauty on the individual, and on the society.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay: Why Should We Sleep?

    1380 Words  | 3 Pages

    Have you ever stayed up too late? At one time or another most people have probably experienced that feeling where their eyes start to droop and blur. It’s their body telling them they need to sleep… But do they? Many people might think losing a night’s sleep or not sleeping enough is not a big deal, but in fact, continuously lacking sleep does affect people in a bad way. People should know the healthy amount of sleep they need and some solutions to sleeping problems. Sleep deprivation causes physical and mental effects on the human body and can be directly responsible for many fatal accidents.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay About Technology

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The current explosion of digital technology not only is changing the way we live and communicate, but is rapidly and profoundly altering our brains (Carr). When someone stays up all night staring at their cell phone, it is changing their sleep schedule. Blue enriched light that is emitted from mobile devices can suppress the body’s release of melatonin at night (Hiscott). Melatonin is the key hormone that controls someone 's internal clock, and when not enough is released, a body is oblivious to when it is supposed to be asleep. Sleep is crucial for successful development in a young child’s

    Read More

  • Effects Of Lack Of Sleep Essay

    1279 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lack of sleep affects us many different ways in our daily lives. Think of yourself as a battery, and you’re using all the energy. After you 're done using the energy, you have to charge it. Humans are just like batteries when it comes to sleep. We use all of our energy in the day time doing our daily activities. Like a battery, if you don’t rest or charge yourself up, you’re not going to function very well. It is necessary to have a satisfying amount of sleep. Lack of sleep will affect you in ways such as: mood swings, loss of focus, change in behavior, and difficulties in everyday tasks.

    Read More

More about Blue Light Filter Essay

Open Document