(ARA) - Independence and aging well is something we all hope for
as we grow older, but things like healthy vision are often taken
for granted until they are lost or impaired. Baby boomers -
those born between 1946 and 1964, represent a rapidly aging
population unprecedented in the history of this country.
Unfortunately, this group is susceptible to a host of vision
risks. Most people are familiar with UV or ultra-violet light
and many wear sunglasses and sunscreen to protect their eyes and
skin. UV falls in the spectrum of invisible light and is
potentially damaging to the front of the eye, or the cornea and
lens, i.e. cataract. But, what about blue light? How does this
"other" light affect the back of the eye and what can you do to
protect your vision? Blue light waves are visible to the eye and
on a different or longer range of the light spectrum than UV;
blue light waves are all around us and can damage the
photoreceptors (rods and cones) in the retina in the back of the
eye. The eye's natural protective f