Know what blue light is and what precautions you should take

Blue light can be found both in sunlight and in artificial lights through electronic devices. It can be beneficial to health when it corresponds to turquoise blue, the one that comes from the Sun. However, care must be taken with this type of light. To understand everything about the subject, follow the article, which has information from dermatologist Vanessa Perusso.

What is blue light?

Dermatologist Vanessa Perusso (CRM:120.474) explains that blue light is part of visible light, and may originate from sunlight or electronics. In addition, “blue light has a very short wavelength, around 380 to 500 nm, with natural light, coming from the Sun, and artificial light, which is usually present in LED lamps, LED screens, that is, , in the electromagnetic radiation of the screens.”

Is blue light good or bad?

The dermatologist points out that this light can play a positive role in health when exposure to it is tailored. With this, “the light, in fact, both ultraviolet and blue are beneficial because they help to regulate the biological rhythm, with regard to natural lights. So, helping to regulate the circadian cycle, you end up producing vitamins and hormones essential for metabolism.”

However, the specialist draws attention to exposure for long periods. According to Vanessa, “Artificial lights have a much higher ratio of blue light to natural light. Everyone is worried about ultraviolet because it has a greater risk of harming biological tissue, such as skin cancer, but that’s when there is exposure for a long time”.

It should also be noted that there are two types of blue light, turquoise, with beneficial effects, and violet, with negative impacts. With that, follow the main positives and harms of this light below.

benefits

• Helps regulate the circadian cycle: as highlighted by the dermatologist, blue light contributes to the regulation of the circadian cycle, a factor that influences a healthy sleep cycle and results in better thinking and more productivity during the day;
• Promotes well-being: by promoting the release of hormones such as serotonin, which is responsible for the feeling of happiness, it makes for more disposition and well-being;
• Improves vitamin D levels: according to Vanessa, blue light has the role of stimulating the production of vitamin D, a factor that strengthens bones and teeth and contributes positively to the immune and muscular system;
• Improves brain activity: while blue light works on aspects associated with mood, memory, alertness and performance, it causes brain activities to be increased;
• Good for the eyes: the blue light from the sun’s rays has a positive impact on the eyes when they are not exposed to excessive sunlight.

harm

• Harmful to the eyes: the blue light coming from electronics results in damage to vision, “which can damage the tissue of the eyes, as it penetrates more into the retina”, ponders the doctor;
• Deregulates sleep: because blue violet light blocks the production of melatonin, sleep ends up being deregulated, so that the body ends up not recognizing what time to sleep and problems such as insomnia tend to be triggered;
• Risk of macular degeneration: chronic exposure to blue light may contribute to the risk of developing macular degeneration, which could result in the gradual loss of central vision;
• Accelerates the natural aging of the eyes: according to recent studies, blue lights have the ability to transform vital molecules into a toxic version that can collaborate to accelerate the natural aging of the eyes;
• It corroborates the development of myopia: with greater emphasis on children and adolescents, due to sleep deregulation, fewer hours are allocated to sleep, causing a reduction in the performance of the sleep hormone. With this, the regulation of eye growth is decreased, giving space to the development of myopia.

With this, it is visible that there are benefits and harms involved in light in its blue variation, giving space to the need to be careful to enjoy the positive aspects and avoid the harmful ones.

What blue light can cause

Regarding the negative impacts that can be caused, the doctor explains “natural blue light has a much lower energy potential than ultraviolet, but with the advent of electronics this proportion of blue light ends up being higher, so the main harm, so to speak, is that it can, in addition to damaging the retina, interfere with the circadian cycle. So, by being too exposed to these lights, you end up decreasing the production of melatonin.”

Vanessa also adds that “melatonin is an important hormone, one of the most important antioxidants that the body produces, and when we mess up our circadian cycle, our entire body is deregulated. So you are more likely to have inflammatory diseases and chronic diseases because the balance has been changed.”

How to avoid the risks of blue light?

Knowing that blue light, especially from electronic devices, can be harmful in some ways, following some recommendations will help you to be safe from the risks. So, check out the tips outlined below.

• Give preference to natural lighting: review the way you deal with the lighting of the environments in which you spend most of your time, so that you can make use of natural light for longer, without having to resort to artificial lights;
• Avoid excessive use of electronics: given that electronic devices are responsible for emitting light in its blue-violet variation, which tends to be harmful, try to avoid prolonged use of devices such as cell phones and tablets, especially during night;
• Make use of sunscreen: take care to use sunscreen daily, even at times when you will not be exposed to sunlight, as the product provides protection for both sunlight and harmful lights emitted by electronics;
• Do not stay exposed to the sun for long periods: the sun’s rays are capable of transmitting blue light beneficial to the body, however, excessive exposure can have the opposite effect of what is expected, and can cause burns, damage to vision and premature aging of the skin. ;
• Go to eye appointments regularly: pay attention to your visual health by making regular visits to the ophthalmologist, in order to identify possible eye diseases resulting from contact with blue light at an early stage so that treatments can be carried out more quickly and effectively;
• Consume products aimed at vitamin C: in order to protect the skin from blue light, using products linked to vitamin C, such as food and cosmetics, is a great option.

Thus, it is clear that some care must be taken with blue light so that it does not end up being harmful to health. In addition, as for lights, it is worth noting that turquoise blue can have positive impacts through sunbathing when exposure to sunlight is not exaggerated.

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.