We often engage in bad habits that damage the health of our eyes and reduce the quality of our vision. Here are 13 bad habits that damage your eyes. So, correcting these habits using information as I mention below can help you set a better path for your eye health.
Check out the list of 13 worst living habits that can pose harms to the overall health of your eyes
1. Staring At Your Smartphone And Computer For Too Long
Focusing on reading the tiny text on your smartphone may be one of the reasons why your eyes hurt, especially in case you often do this for hours. This can also result in blurred vision, dizziness, dry eyes and nausea. To deal with this, you have to put down your smartphone every 20 minutes so that your eyes can take a break. Otherwise, even better, you can make the font on your smartphone bigger so that your eyes do not need to work hard over time to read.
Similarly, staring at a computer screen for too long also damages your eyes. Spending all day in front of your computer can result in dryness because your eyes do not have as much lubrication from tears. As ditching your computer is impossible, try to take breaks after every 20 minutes.
2. Watching Television At Night
In fact, watching any types of screen, including your television, cell phone, e-reader and computer right before bed in the dark is bad for your eyes. The light levels are changing quickly, so your eyes will have to work harder to process these changes, which may result in pain, eyestrain, headaches, redness, dry eyes and even affect your sleep schedule.
Similarly, reading or writing in a dim light is not recommended. Although, there is not a plenty of evidence that shows it is bad for your eye health, it may strain your eyes, making them more tired and red, or result to pain and discomfort. You can turn on a lamp if you want to finish off your favorite film before bedtime.
3. Reading While On The Road
Many people always have a magazine or book to give them something to do while they are walking or travelling in a moving bus or car. In fact, reading while travelling can extend your eyes and make it hard for them to focus. This activity may also lead to motion sickness, headache, dizziness, weakness and vomiting.
4. Rubbing Your Eyes
Rubbing your eyes frequently may break the blood vessels under your eyelids. Thus, if you want to soothe irritated eyes, you should try a cold compress over your irritated eyes for a couple of minutes or moisturizing eye drops. Remember not to use a warm compress because the heat can increase the histamine discharge and make your condition worse. If you have to rub your eyes, be sure to wash your hands and pat them dry before touching your eyes.
5. Wearing Contacts While Sleeping
When you wear contacts while sleeping, this will increase the risk of developing an eye infection and lead to permanent damage. So, remember to take them out before going to bed and ensure that your hands are clean while doing that.
6. Overusing Eye Drops
While eye drops temporarily ease dry eyes, using eye drops too often can irritate your eyes. Doctors warn that non-prescription eye drops will not actually improve your eye health, they just make your eyes less red. Instead of overusing, they recommend that you should use eye drops for a short period of time.
In case you are using a prescription eye drop, remember to follow the instructions of your doctors and then stop using it at once if it cause an eye irritation, eye rash or any of the other unwanted side effect.
7. Having An Unbalanced Diet
In fact, some vegetables and fruits are important for eye health, especially those with vitamins E and C, omega-3 fatty acids and zinc. The experts suggest adding vegetables oils, citrus fruits, nuts, leafy greens, whole grains and fish to your daily diet as much as you can.
More importantly, you should drink a large amount of water. Staying hydrated is a main key to tear production and keeping your eyes healthy and well-lubricated. Addition to this, try to skip foods that are high in sodium as they can dehydrate your body.
8. Misusing Eye Makeup
What you put near your eyes, including mascara, eye shadow, eyeliner and eye creams are all a potential risk. Therefore, ensure that you do not apply makeup close to your lash line in order not to block the oil glands, which can result in infections. Additionally, you should throw away the eye makeup after every 3 months. Bacteria often grow in damp and dark areas, so your mascara could be an ideal breading ground to some infections.
Addition to this, when you use cheap eye makeup, you may be causing damages to your eyes. Some of the ingredients in low-cost brands may not be good for your eyes. Whatever your choice, make sure to remove eye makeup every night before going to bed.
9. Not Wearing Safety Goggles
According to a study, almost 45% of eye injuries occur at home, and the most common cases are being exposed to harmful chemicals in household products, home improvement projects, oil splatters and hot grease during cooking and using hot styling tools. So, you should wear those safety goggles when working these projects in order to protect your eyes.
Similarly, chemicals found in pools can harm your eyes. You may experience irritation, fuzzy vision or in some severe cases, you may experience temporary blindness. Thus, when you go swimming, it is advised to wear eye protection or keep your eyes closed tightly.
10. Smoking
Everyone knows that smoking can cause health problems on lung and heart health, but few know that it is associated with the health of eyes. Smoking harms your eye tissues and has been associated with 25% of cases of macular degeneration due to aging. Besides, when you smoke, you are more likely to develop eye diseases, including cataracts, blood vessel damage, uveitis and vision loss. Quitting smoking may be difficult, but it is better for your eyes and overall health.
11. Not Wearing Your Glasses
Excessive squinting can result in eyestrain and pain. But, there is a simple way to deal with it: Wear your glasses.
When you go out in the sun, remember to wear your sunglasses, even on cloudy days. They can help block UV rays that will harm your eyes and even lead to cataracts and macular degeneration. Children are at a higher risk than adults. Do not let your children younger than 6 months stay out of direct sunlight. Besides, in case you suffer from photophobia or light sensitivity. Your sunglasses can also help you reduce the negative effects of bright lights, such as blurred vision, headaches and red eyes.
12. Not Having Enough Sleep
As you know that sleep deprivation can be cause of many health problems, including harming your eyes. Some common symptoms are dry eyes, twitching, pain and blurry vision. If you experience these signs, or if your eyes become red, heavy or sore, reduce your workload and have a few good night sleep to rest your eyes. Thus, make sure that adults have a minimum of 7 hours and children have a minimum of 9 hours a night and do not use your smartphone before bedtime.
13. Not Having Eye Test Regularly
Visiting the eye doctor regularly is very important. Your doctor can detect serious eye problems that may show no early symptom, and they can also see your symptoms of other illnesses just by seeing your eyes.
By: Lien Nguyen/vkool.com