Why a blue light filter is so important for your glasses!

Did you know it’s good to have a blue light filter on your glasses? It’s because we’re all exposed to so much blue light now from our wide-screen TVs, our mobile phones and our computers so we need to filter this light out. Without a filter, this light goes straight through to our retina and can cause irreversible damage.

This was one of the key messages from Nada Chami and Georgia Papadopoulos at a recent talk they gave to residents at Beauty Point Retirement Resort recently. Both Nada and Georgia are qualified optometrists and they visit the resort fortnightly on Wednesdays.

Nada reminded us to take the time to look after our eyes: “Your eyes are the window to your soul – and they are also the most sensitive part of your body,” she said. “The blue light from your phone and your laptop goes straight through to the back of your eye and eventually, it can cause macular degeneration.”

“A normal lens lets the blue light go through but if you have a filter fitted on your glasses, it won’t be able to get through to the eye,” Nada explained.

“We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen but with people looking at their phones and computers so much more these days, we do believe there’s going to be a problem in 10 or 20 years’ time,” she said.

Georgia added the blue filter “… can be placed on a new pair of glasses at a cost of only $30 to $40.”

UV filters are just as important

With our Australian sunlight, Georgia emphasised it’s just as important to wear high quality, polarised sunglasses whenever you’re outdoors because the UV light causes the same type of damage as the blue light.

As Georgia explained, UV light is very similar to blue light: “Because we have no filter or protection for UV light, the UV rays go straight through to the retina.”

“When this happens, it can lead to cataracts, macular degeneration and pterygium. So, it’s extremely important, especially here in Australia where the sunlight is particularly bright, that we all wear sunglasses whenever we’re outside – even in overcast weather,” she said.

So don’t put off that yearly eye test

Nada and Georgia both stressed the importance of making sure you have your annual eye test. As Nada said: “It’s important to have an eye test every year and check for cataracts and glaucoma. We all need to do this.”

Because Nada and Georgia now come to the Beauty Point Retirement Resort, this is so much easier to do. Residents of the resort can have all of their important eye tests done right here with Nada and Georgia.

All you need to do is call Shani or Mary at the front desk of the Beauty Point Retirement Resort and they’ll book you in. Nada and Georgia are here at the resort on a fortnightly basis on Wednesdays from 9.30am to 2pm. They can also do home visits if requested.

Bulk billing means no cost to you

If you come in for an eye examination with Nada and Georgia, it will be bulk billed by Medicare so there’ll be no cost for your appointments.

If you’d like to order glasses, they can offer you a wide choice of frames and lenses from the cheapest to the most expensive. As Nada said: “Life’s too short for boring glasses!”

Any glasses you buy are all claimable on your health fund if you have one. There’s no delay on this refund because it’s claimed immediately.

As well, Nada and Georgia can give you pamphlets with information about nutrition and supplements so you can keep your eyes in optimal health. They’ll also give you an Amsler Grid Eye Exam card so you can keep checking your eyes yourself in between visits.

To make an appointment with Nada and Georgia, call Shani or Mary at the front desk of the Beauty Point Retirement Resort on (02) 8708 4700 and book in a time.