From Retinal Damage to Cancer Risk: The Overlooked Health Threat of Blue Light

Prolonged close-up work, such as using a cell phone or computer, or extended exposure to bright light, can harm your eyes and overall health.

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In three real-life cases, a 60-year-old male professor underwent two surgeries for a retinal tear but still had to retire early; two 50-year-old women succumbed to breast cancer; and a 50-year-old man was hospitalized for cataracts—all are examples of illnesses found to be related to excessive cell phone use and exposure to strong light, especially blue light.

Professor Jou Jwo-Huei of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at National Tsinghua University in Taiwan said in an interview on the “Health 1+1” program on NTD, a sister outlet of The Epoch Times, that some light sources we encounter in modern-day life may be “invisible killers” of health. Excessively bright or blue light can not only cause eye diseases but may also affect the endocrine system, leading to insomnia and increasing the risk of cancer.

LED Blue Light More Harmful to the Eyes

Using a mobile phone or computer, or prolonged exposure to bright light, especially LED, blue, or violet light, can harm the eyes and overall health, Jou added.