Are Blue Blocking Glasses for Screen Time Worth it?
Several years ago, I was one of the very few who experienced adverse vision side effects after 1 session to help treat my hemiplegic migraines. If you’ve read my article, My Break Up With Botox, you also know that because of the damage it did, I have been left with what seems to be more long-term damage than short. This has left me with having to find a LOT of reading glasses and naturally for me, losing a lot of reading glasses.
Because I also struggle with an autoimmune disease that can affect vision changes in my eyes pretty frequently, it’s forced me to collect just about every single type of reading glasses possible.
Noticing a correlation between migraine attacks and screen time
But it wasn’t until last year that I noticed how frequent my migraines correlated with working on my screen all day long and when I began to keep track of the days when I would develop a full-blown migraine from eye-straining, it was alarming. So I did the only thing I knew of at the time, and I invested in a few pair of blue blocker readers. Many places sell them online, for very cheap (mine cost around $8-10 a pair). Many websites offer different reading levels along with the blue light blockers, which can be harder to find. Dig around and see where you can use an online coupon system or cash back when you make purchases. I’m thrifty.. so when I saw I scoured the internet for the reading glasses that actually work for me, I researched all I could.
Eyes feel less strained with blue blocking glasses
So have they helped? Absolutely. I am on my computer for nearly 8 hours straight every day doing different things. I cannot begin to tell you how much mine has helped and the difference I feel. My eyes feel less strained all day long. When I don’t wear them, it’s like a switch is flipped around 12:30-1pm every day and my headache only worsens until bed. If I feel migraine symptoms coming on, I’m immediately reaching for them even if I’m not in front of a screen.
Wearing blue light blocking glasses for television and movies too
I also wear them when I watch TV, am tooling around in the kitchen, and for most other things. Now, they just feel like the correction prescription I should have always had with a very special added bonus that will actually help alleviate the strain in my eyes when I need to look at a computer, tablet or TV screen. I’ve also worn them in movie theaters and highly recommend that you take them with you to any large screen like that.
I’m one who loses them quickly, so I’ve also had to order 3 backups - which is not bad considering as soon as I order a new pair I usually find the “old” ones and keep them in other places like my partner’s house, next to any computers/TVs, different purses, and backpacks I use. I also always *try* to keep a pair in the car.
Have you tried blue light blockers to reduce migraine attacks?
Have blue light blockers helped alleviate your “screen brain” at all?
Has eye strain and reading from headaches ever been an issue for you? Let me know your thoughts down below and see how we can help each other eliminate screen time stress and even different ways of knowing when you need to step away from the screen.
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