If you went out and bought a pair of blue light blocking glasses, only to notice little to no difference, you're not the only one. The Atlantic published an article detailing the futility of these glasses. Indeed, doctors have found little relationship between blue light and eye strain; rather, eye strain can come from many sources, especially when you're looking at the same thing all day long. "Eye strain is about the disparity between the things you want to look at and the natural focusing of your eyes, and how long you do it," Adam Gordon, a clinical associate professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, explains.
Essentially, you can experience this type of strain after looking at anything from an extended period of time. So, wearing glasses to protect from this type of light may just be adding a layer of plastic between you and the screen after all. And, that layer may make your headache from eye strain feel worse.
Plus, your eyes also absorb tons of blue light from being outside. "There are studies that have shown that sunlight, just standing outdoors in the daytime, is like 200 times more intense an exposure to blue light than any screen for eight or 10 hours a day," Gordon explains. Blue light may not be the headache culprit after all.
Instead, perform the 20/20/20 rule a few times a day. Healthline explains that this involves taking a break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This helps reset your eyes and prevent eye strain — whether you've been focused on a computer screen or something else!
