3-D Glasses Safety

3-D glasses have become popular with the proliferation of movies designed for viewing in 3-D. 3-D glasses pose no serious danger of harm and should be considered perfectly safe.

How They Work

• There are a variety of ways to make an image appear in 3-D. The most common way is to create two images that are slightly different to each eye. 3-D glasses work by having each lens block out one of the two images, either through color or through the polarization of the light.

Risks

• Because 3-D glasses are really just presenting an optical illusion to your eyes, similar to a mirage, they pose no danger of serious damage.

Eye Strain

• Some people experience eye strain and or headaches after using 3-D glasses for a long time. If you experience these feelings, remove the glasses and rest and you should feel better quickly.

Disorientation

• Because 3-D glasses affect the way you see, they should not be worn when doing anything other than watching a 3-D movie or looking at 3-D pictures. Wearing them at other times may lead to disorientation, which could cause a variety of problems, especially if doing things like driving a car or operating machinery.

Bottom Line

• 3-D glasses are perfectly safe in themselves. However, it is best to avoid wearing them at other times.