What kind of lighting is best for people with retinal diseases like macular degeneration? Researchers tell us that ultraviolet (UV) and blue light rays may be harmful to those of us with retinal disease, while marketers tell us that lamps with enhanced UV will help us to see better and stay healthier. Advertisers tell us that the intensity and range of colors offered by lamps that replicate sunshine and daylight are necessary for best vision and visual health. At the same time, doctors admonish us to wear blue-blocking, UV-protective sunglasses when we go outdoors.
What’s going on? What should we believe? How can light hurt our retinas? What are the differences between fluorescent, halogen, neodymium, and regular incandescent lightbulbs? What do they mean by labels such as “full spectrum” and “daylight?” To sort all of this out, let’s begin with a definition of light and its effects on the retina.
What is Light?
Light is made up of electromagnetic particles that travel in waves. Our retinas are capable of responding to only a small part of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. From the longest waves (lowest frequency) through the shortest waves (highest frequency), lighting specialists identify the electromagnetic wave regions as 1) radio waves, 2) microwaves and radar, 3) millimeter waves and telemetry, 4) infrared, 5) visible light, 6) ultraviolet, and 7) x-rays and gamma rays.
Light is made up of electromagnetic particles that travel in waves. Our retinas are capable of responding to only a small part of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. From the longest waves (lowest frequency) through the shortest waves (highest frequency), lighting specialists identify the electromagnetic wave regions as 1) radio waves, 2) microwaves and radar, 3) millimeter waves and telemetry, 4) infrared, 5) visible light, 6) ultraviolet, and 7) x-rays and gamma rays.
Artificial Lighting and the Blue Light Hazard
