This podcast is in partnership with Transitions Optical

How does daily exposure to light impact visual performance, general health, and wellbeing? We called in the experts to address this topic that is so important to our patients’ visual comfort. Dr. Coralie Barrau, Senior Scientist of Photobiology with Essilor, is a physicist who researches how light impacts our ocular, mental and systemic health. Chris King is the Global Marketing Manager for Transitions Optical who collaborates with leading experts in the field of research and development and helps bring this scientific information to the public. 

Scientists at Transitions recently published a white paper on Sensitivity to Light and on today’s podcast episode we break down the pertinent findings. Research shows that eyecare providers are falling short at dialogue and action for the very common issue of glare and light discomfort that patients suffer from. One of the key insights from the study is that 9 out of 10 people say they experience light sensitivity. When the degree of sensitivity is measured, approximately 1 in 3 people would be classified as highly light sensitive. Concerningly, only 1 in 10 patients worldwide actually wear lens technology that addresses these issues, however. 

Dr. Coralie Barrau, Senior Scientist of Photobiology with Essilor

The type of environment we live and work in has drastically changed over the last two decades. Patients today are surrounded by artificial light sources: digital screens, fluorescent lighting, LED lighting. “The former balance of natural and artificial light has been totally disrupted,” states Barrau. “We are now overexposed day and night to artificial lights and LED lighting, and we really lack the benefits of natural light at specific moments of the day. Instead of aligning behavioral and physiological processes to natural solar cycles, individuals today respond to artificial light cycles to train our biological rhythms.” The result of this artificial light environment?  Increased sensitivity to light, poorer biorhythms, and a de-synchronization of our biological clocks. 

The white paper takes a holistic approach to the science of light sensitivity, including the physiological aspects of how the eye and brain interact with light and the social and emotional implications of light exposure. To classify light sources and discomfort, researchers looked at 4 dimensions of light: intensity, spectrum (color), temporality, and spatial distribution. 

Light Intensity

“The more intense the light, the brighter the light and the more discomfort and visual disruption experienced,” Barrau explains. Our eye adjusts to brighter light by constricting the pupil, squinting, and rapidly blinking. 

Spectrum

Blue light, ranging from 380 to 500 nm, is the most energetic part of visible light entering the retina. Increasing experimental evidence has indicated that prolonged exposure to blue light contributes to retinal ageing and may cause or enhance retinal damage. Particularly, it has been demonstrated that exposure to blue-violet light between 415-455 nm can induce irreversible cell death in the outer retina in simulated moderate daylight conditions.  Beyond its cumulative effects on visual health, multiple scientific papers suggest blue light exposure increases glare.