Do LED Lights Affect Eyesight?

Light emitting diodes, known as LEDs, are made of crystals, including materials like phosphorus, to produce various colors. Overlapping colors, which are primarily green, blue, and red, produce the white light that we see. Currently, there are no industry standards for brightness levels.

Some manufacturers use phrases like "ultra-bright" and "super-bright" to describe the intensity of the LED bulbs they produce. Even though LED lights do not come with government-regulated labeling for eyesight safety, staring into LED light beams at a close range can cause issues down the line.

How LED Lights Work

LED lights work more like the standard incandescent light bulbs, but they are smaller than traditional bulbs and they do not contain any filament. Instead of a filament, LED lights consist of semiconductor chips which are positioned on reflective surfaces. When electrons pass through the semiconductors, these electrons produce electromagnetic radiations. Some of the electromagnetic emissions take the form of light, which you perceive through sight.

LED lights are applicable in so many places, both residential and commercial. You can find them being used as farm/barn lights, security lights, parking lot lights, garage lighting, and more commercial lights. They are also used in screen displays and computers due to their durability and low cost. Their versatility is one of the things that make them so useful and efficient. To learn more about the different commercial LED lights on the market, visit PrimeLights today.

Popularity of LED Lights

LED lights have undergone rapid economic and technological developments, and they are now a popular lighting choice for commercial, industrial, and residential spaces around the world. In most parts of the United States, LED lights have seen huge increases in adoption, which is a positive in regards to nationwide energy consumption. LED lights are gaining popularity largely because they use around 95% less energy than the available incandescent alternatives. They use less energy per lumen than traditional types of light bulbs. 

Blue Light and Its Effects

The market penetration of LED lights has increased dramatically in recent decades. Statistics show that their adoption rate is 48 percent in 2020, but it might increase to 84 percent by 2030. As this increase in LED usage continues, many households around the country are introducing themselves to the “blue light” that LED lights give off. Blue light is not a new concept. It is a form of light with a shorter wavelength than that of other types of lights in the light spectrum. Some old-fashioned bulbs produce it as well, however the blue light that they generate comes in relatively smaller amounts.The sun offers blue light in large amounts, which is why people wear sunglasses when spending time outdoors. The blue light that LCD screens, such as computers, modern TVs, tablets, and smartphones, produce is stronger than that associated with LED lights. However, you don’t want to underestimate the blue light LED lights generated by staring into it for too long or using LED lights for all activities at all times of the day.

Excessive amounts of blue light can potentially cause damage to retina, photoreceptors, and macula in the eyes. Perhaps, you remember the number of times you have heard that staring at the TV screen for several hours in the evening could disrupt your sleep and eyesight. Blue light also modulates the production of melatonin. Therefore avoiding blue light at least two hours before you retire to bed could result in a significantly deeper sleep. 

LED Lights and Maintaining Eyesight

Though the effects of blue light can pose potential risks, this is no reason to turn your back on generated by LED lights. These risks of blue light can easily be mitigated by limiting your exposure to these lights to a set time of day, wearing glasses to block blue light, or using amber-colored lenses to neutralize it. Turning bright LED lights off when they’re not needed in order to see can also do wonders as far as cutting back on blue light exposure and maintaining eye health. Remember, the sun, computer screens, and mobile devices generate significantly larger amounts of blue light than LED lights. Managing exposure to blue light from LED lights all comes down to making smart decisions and using these lights for the purpose they were designed for. 

If you want to secure LED light bulbs for your home or business that generate minimal levels of blue light, choose lighting options with a warm color spectrum, such as those favoring greens and reds over cool blues. Apart from the comfort they provide, they are more safe for your eyes than other bright lights. Energy-efficient LED lights often come in warm spectrum varieties, so look into those as well. Maintain moderate lighting for your eye health.

Contact PrimeLights for Safe LED Lighting Options

IF you’re in the market for LED lighting options which support healthy eyesight as much as possible, PrimeLights has plenty of options that produce minimal levels of blue light. Contact PrimeLights today for answers and insights regarding your eyesight-related questions.