Chemists discover how blue light speeds blindness

Researchers at the University of Toledo in Ohio have found that exposure to blue light given off by digital devices or the sun degrades the retina in the eye.

The result is age-related macular degeneration leading to blindness, with 2 million patients diagnosed every year in the US.

Symptoms of the disease start at age 50 to 60.

The lab at the University of Toledo is “currently measuring light coming from television, cell phone and tablet screens “ to understand better the response of the eye to blue light that we are dealing with all the time.

Filters exist on some cellphones to prevent blue light exposure.

The researchers recommend wearing sunglasses that provide protection against both “UV and blue light outside”and to “avoid looking at your cell phones or tablets in the dark.”

 

Journal Reference:

Kasun Ratnayake, John L. Payton, O. Harshana Lakmal & Ajith Karunarathne. Blue light excited retinal intercepts cellular signaling, Scientific Reports (2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28254-8