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Yellow, amber-tinted sunglasses may protect eyes better
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Sunglasses with yellow- or amber-tinted lenses may protect eyes from damaging rays better than blue-tinted lenses, one eye researcher said.
Janet Sparrow, PhD, of Columbia University is performing ongoing research about the effects of blue light exposure from sunlight as a cause of age-related macular degeneration.
Light-sensitive compounds accumulate in some retinal cells with age. These compounds can be excited by the blue light contained in sun light, imitating oxidative processes that can damage the cells, Dr. Sparrow said in a report published in Reuters Health.
Because AMD is the leading cause of blindness in elderly patients, Dr. Sparrow recommends avoiding blue-tinted lenses. “A blue lens actually selects out blue light, which is not good — you want to diminish the blue light,” she said. “A yellow lens filters blue light, so a yellow lens would reduce blue, and that’s what you want.”
Yellow and amber-tinted sunglasses are effective at filtering out harmful blue light. Dark-tinted lenses are another choice, Dr. Sparrow noted.