Can Blue Light Cause Headaches?
Do you find yourself constantly reaching for that packet of Panadol in your drawer, or desperately rubbing your temples to ease your throbbing head? You may have fallen victim to a blue light induced headache or migraine.
The great news is, you’re not alone. With a few simple steps we can help you say goodbye to painful headaches and hello to digital bliss.
Am I experiencing a headache or a migraine?
Often when people feel a striking ache or pressure in certain areas of their head, they aren’t sure if they are experiencing a blue light migraine or a blue light headache. So, what do blue light headaches feel like?
Firstly, let’s quickly break down the difference between headaches and migraines. The main point of difference between the two is that headaches tend to come and go and are often a lot more common than migraines. Migraines on the other hand are usually experienced as a
reoccurring chronic condition, and they tend to have a greater intensity than a headache. In addition to severe head pain, migraines can also cause nausea, sensitivity to light, sound and smells, as well as dizziness, and extreme fatigue.
To learn more about migraines check out this website.
What is blue light?
To put it simply, blue light is a short, high-energy wavelength in the visible light spectrum. This electromagnetic spectrum is made up of wavelengths of varying lengths, seen as colours by the human eye. Every wavelength is represented by a different colour: violet, indigo, green, yellow, orange, red or blue.
Blue light is the highest frequency visible to the human eye. It is positioned at the top of the light spectrum and is very close to Ultraviolet light – well known for causing damage.
Blue light is natural and can be found everywhere. Sunlight is the main source and the way most people get exposed. The wavelength of blue light is very short, and due to its high energy, it scatters very easily when it meets air and water. This is why we can thank blue light for the colour of our sky.
Can blue light cause headaches?
Looking at your digital devices all day not only makes you feel stressed and irritated, but it also causes significant muscle strain on your eyes leading to headaches and migraines.
All types of light, particularly blue light, can trigger migraines and greatly intensify headaches.
When you look at a screen the muscles in your eyes tighten in order for you to focus and process information. This is because short wavelengths are emitted from the screen causing you to squint unconsciously, and in turn leading to blurred vision, headaches, and poor concentration.
Blue light glasses are here to help. In fact, it’s why Baxter Blue exists. Baxter Blue blue light glasses were created to fix a problem, not create one. With the majority of people spending upwards of 7.5 hours behind a screen each day the rise of digital eye strain and accompanying issues have risen dramatically. Blue light glasses get to the root of the problem by filtering out the nasty blue light wavelengths that cause damage to not only your eyes, but also your skin and overall wellbeing.
How do I manage these headaches?
Headaches and migraines can be debilitating and can deeply affect all aspects of your life. Even in an increasingly digital landscape, no one should have to put up with the pains and aches brought on from screen use. Luckily, there are ways we can manage these issues, maybe even eradicate them!
Try out these simple steps on how to get rid of blue light headaches.
1/ Take screen breaks throughout the day to limit your blue light exposure, and give your eyes some recovery time.
2/ Up your water intake! A fun way to ensure you are drinking enough water is to mark your water bottle with different times of the day and ensure you hit that mark on time.
3/ Train your eyes. Try implementing the 20/20/20 rule into your everyday routine. For every 20 minutes spent using a screen; you should try to look away at something that is 20 feet away from you for a total of 20 seconds.
4/ Invest in a pair of blue light glasses. By simply filtering out blue light from our screens through blue light glasses we can greatly reduce the likelihood of migraine attacks and headache pain. Baxter Blue has an incredible range of high-quality blue light glasses that filter out nearly 80% of the high energy blue light, keeping your eyes protected and helping to manage those nasty blue light headaches.
