Blue light and dementia might not seem like they have anything in common, but scientists are starting to think otherwise. New evidence shows that there could be a link between the two, and the only way to protect yourself is to cut down on the time you spend with electronics, or alternatively, to protect yourself from the light they emit. Read on to discover more about this link and so you can learn how to protect yourself.

What Blue Light Can Do

Blue light is just one spectrum of light rays that's emitted by everything from the sun to electronics. The big difference in the modern age is that people don't stand around staring at the sun, but they do let their eyes take in blue light around the clock due to electronics like cell phones, televisions, and computer screens.

Doctors and scientists are now concerned that blue light could increase your risk of developing macular degeneration later in life. Unfortunately, macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness in older people, and many who develop it will lose some or all of their vision.

Macular Degeneration and Dementia Risk

If concerns over blindness aren't enough for you, there's new evidence that macular degeneration is tied to the development of dementia.

One study discovered that people with certain eye conditions, including macular degeneration, were at a 40-50% higher risk of developing Alzheimer's. While the exact link between the two isn't fully understood at this time, it stands to reason that protecting your eyes from a potential source of blue light could help to keep you from being part of this risk pool.

What to Do

Obviously, most people aren't going to be able to give up electronics entirely, and you don't have to. Your first step should be to get in touch with an optometrist to get new glasses or to have your old ones improved.

Lenses can now be made with a coating that dramatically reduces the amount of blue light that makes it to the eye. This means you can keep doing what you always do with electronics without fearing for your vision.

In addition, you can reduce the amount of blue light emitted by your electronics from the start. Use a filtering app that cuts down on the blue light generated by your screen.

Protecting your eyes can start now and continue to provide you with good eyesight and a solid mind in the future. Don't hesitate to get blue light protection on your next pair of glasses from your optometrist.