Effect of blue-filtering lens spectacles on signs and symptoms of dry eye during exposure to a digital screen.

PURPOSE: Digital device tasks emit blue light, which may cause damage to the ocular surface, resulting in dry eyes. This study compared lenses with blue-blocking filters, anti-reflective-coated CR39 lenses and uncoated CR39 lenses with regard to their effect on dry eye signs and symptoms during a 120-min reading task from a digital device.

METHODS

This randomised crossover study included adults from an optometry clinic in Thailand. Twenty-six healthy participants (age, 21.7 ± 2.6 years) performed three reading tasks from a tablet for 3 days. The effects of the spectacles were explored by determining the differences in the mean values between pre- and post-task measurements.

RESULTS

No significant changes in dry eye symptoms were observed in the 5-Item Dry Eye Questionnaire or Ocular Surface Disease Index compared with the three lenses (p = 0.97 and 0.45, respectively). For dry eye signs, no significant differences in the mean values of tear meniscus height, non-invasive tear breakup time (keratometry mires) or fluorescence tear breakup time were found using the Friedman test (right eye: p = 0.53, 0.93 and 0.44, respectively; left eye: p = 0.53, 0.44 and 0.85, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Lenses with blue-blocking filters did not alleviate dry eye signs and symptoms during a 120-min digital activity.