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‘Block’ blue light with good nutrition
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To the Editor:
Thank you for the excellent commentary column by Dr. Patricia Cisarik (“Customize blue light protection for each patient,” July 2015). It is about time someone addressed the blue light issue with some sensibility and science.
Dr. Cisarik addresses the blue light “hype” that we have been hearing so much about in the eye care community over the last few years. It seems that the lens companies have jumped on the bandwagon of “eye protection,” especially where computer use is concerned.
I have discussed this topic with several colleagues (also PhDs), and they have similar views. The sun has a “million” times more potential for damage than computer displays, and while we can all agree that there are eye strain and sleep deprivation issues with blue light, the contribution of computer displays to age-related macular degeneration is miniscule at best. It seems that the sky is not falling.
So, let us take the advice of Dr. Cisarik and think through each patient’s specific visual requirements and prescribe appropriately. Personally, I prefer to recommend my “blue blocking” in the form of good nutrition (remember lutein?), which has several benefits in eye and brain health.
Jeffrey Anshel, OD, FAAO
Corporate Vision Consulting
Founder, Ocular Nutrition Society