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A cause of blindness that’s right under your nose

You wouldn’t go to the beach or pool… take a Sunday afternoon drive… or hit the links on a bright summer’s day without wearing sunglasses.

It’s a fact of life on Earth that we all know: The sun’s rays can be damaging to your eyes!

But what about when you’re indoors? You probably never think that about protecting your eyes when you’re not out in the sunshine.

A new study out of the University of Toledo, however, puts indoor dangers in a whole new light, so to speak!

The researchers found that the “toxic” blue light that shines on your eyes when you use your computer, tablet, or phone can gradually steal your vision without you even realizing it.

Luckily, however, there are a number of simple routines you can adopt to protect your eyes… and there’s one habit in particular that you should dispense with immediately!

Blinding blue

While we’re also exposed to blue light when it radiates from the sun, this era of spending hours gazing at high-tech gadgets is a whole new form of deadly eye damage — one that can kill cells in the retina that are vital to your vision.

Now, researchers have found out exactly why exposure to these electronic marvels endangers your eyesight.

They discovered that when blue light from digital devices (as well as the sun) strikes your eyes, it can cause retinal molecules that are vital for vision to start pumping out a toxic substance – one that can jump-start macular degeneration.

In other words, blue light actually turns these beneficial molecules into lethal weapons!

And when the toxins it produces kills the essential photoreceptor cells in the retina, unfortunately, they don’t regenerate.

“When they’re dead,” one of the Toledo researchers said, “they’re dead for good.”

Already 11 million people in the U.S. have some type of age-related macular degeneration, a number that is expected to double in the next few decades. And the addictive gadgets that everyone is glued to morning, noon, and night may be the reason behind that astronomical rise.

Considering the damage that blue light can cause… and how most kids seem to spend the entire day staring at their phones… you might wonder why everyone doesn’t have macular degeneration by now!

Well, that’s because our bodies use an antioxidant derived from vitamin E (called alpha tocopherol) to keep those essential eye cells from dying off.

Unfortunately, as we age, our alpha tocopherol levels tank. So, it’s no coincidence that age-related macular degeneration is a disease that strikes those mostly over 60.

But as I mentioned, there are steps you can take to lower you risk, given that we’re unlikely to stop using all these devices anytime soon!

Along with protecting your eyes by wearing sunglasses that block 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays when you go outside, you can take these important indoor and outdoor precautions:

#1: Lower the blue light emitted by your PC or laptop (if you eliminate it entirely, the screen will look red or green!). Some monitors have an “eye saver” switch, or if you’re using a laptop screen, you can turn down the brightness by going to the section on your computer settings that’s called “display.” If you have Windows 10 (the latest version) set up on your machine, there’s even a “night light” switch that you can activate to turn on in the evening.

There are also filter screens for computers and tablets, as well as glasses that are said to block blue light.

All of those serve the purpose of “warming” up the light shining from your screen and tuning down the blue.

#2: Most phones have a blue light filter built right in that you can activate. At first, the screen might seem dull, but once you get used to it, believe me, the original screen brightness will appear blinding.

#3: Load up on foods that are high in that eye-saving alpha-tocopherol, which is the best form of vitamin E. Wheat germ oil, almonds, hazelnuts, avocados, salmon, and even mangos are good sources. If you’re taking a vitamin E supplement, make sure that it’s called “d-alpha tocopherol,” or “mixed tocopherols” (since a form of vitamin E called dl-alpha tocopherol is a synthetic version that you don’t want to take).

And last, but most certainly not least, one of the worst habits possible when it comes to blasting your eyes with the blue light from phones and tablets is to use them in the dark – such as by checking your email or Facebook after “lights out” while you’re in bed.

That’s when it’s time to hit the sack… and shut off all the gadgets!

“UToledo chemists discover how blue light speed blindness” University of Toledo, August 8, 2018, EurekAlert, eurekalert.org

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