15 Habits You Should Avoid to Maintain Sharp Vision
Our
eyes are pretty fragile, and even the slightest misstep on your behalf
is bound to affect their health and subsequently - your eyesight, if not
now, then further down the road. Environmental stressors, such as UV
light, dry air and others can worsen your vision and contribute to eye
disease, but so do excess strain and lack of sleep. Learn to preserve
sharp vision for decades by avoiding these 15 bad habits capable of
ruining your eye health.
1. Air Conditioning and Central Heating
Both
air conditioning and central heating significantly dry out the air in a
room, potentially causing a whole host of issues, especially dry eyes.
And while having dry eyes doesn't seem very threatening, it is more
dangerous than you'd think. For one, eyes devoid of a moisture barrier
are more susceptible to infections. Dry eyes can also damage the surface
of the eye, and chronically dry eyes can even worsen one's vision.
To deal with the issue, keep a working air humidifier
in your bedroom overnight, or simply put a bowl full of water or two in
your bedroom - this water will slowly evaporate, slowly increasing the
humidity in the room.
2. Not Wearing Sunglasses
Similarly
to why you need to use sunscreen when you go outside, you should also
wear sunglasses on the regular to protect the surface of your eyes from
UV damage. The truth is that the sun's rays are getting stronger and
stronger, and constant UV exposure was proven to contribute to several eye diseases,
namely eyelid cancer, cataract, and pterygium (a pinkish growth
over the cornea). Doctors suggest wearing sunglasses year-round, even in
the winter.
3. Using Makeup Remover Too Close to the Surface of the Eye
This
is not to say that you should stop wearing eye makeup, or stop removing
it from your eyes, but rather be wary of the products you use around
the eye area and make sure not to get eye makeup remover inside your
eyes. Eye makeup removers and face wash can contain a type of cleaning
agent, a surfactant called benzalkonium chloride, which
can irritate the surface eye and damage eye tissues, subsequently
worsening your eyesight. Products intended for eye use and those that
don't contain this ingredient are generally considered eye-safe.
4. Improper Use of Contact Lenses
Contact
lenses require the strictest hygienic and medical guidelines to be safe
for your eyes, you wear them directly on your eyes, after all. First
and foremost, you should never sleep in your contacts or use them in
water, as this can cause damage to the surface of the eye and severe,
sometimes incurable, eye infections.
Some
contacts are considered safe for sleep, but we wouldn't risk it anyway.
Two other things we'd never risk is overusing contact lenses or using
not medically-approved lenses, as in both cases, the risk of eye
infection is just too high. Contacts can scratch your eyes and harbor
bacteria, especially if they're not regulated - a recipe for disaster.
Contact-related injuries and infection have been found to result in visual impairment in 20% of cases.
5. Sleep Deprivation and Apnea
According
to medical research, your eyes require at least 5 hours of
uninterrupted sleep on a daily basis to function properly and stay
healthy. Overexertion may cause eye spasms (twitching), popped blood
vessels, dry eyes, blurry vision, and itching eyes.
Even more serious health conditions are associated with sleep apnea
sufferers, who are more likely than healthy people to develop glaucoma
and can suffer from vision loss caused by a degenerative condition
affecting the optic nerve called Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy
(AION).
6. Traveling by Plane
Here
is one more reason to sleep on the plane, and it has everything to do
with your eye health. The thing is that the recycled air on the plane is
among the driest and most germ-ridden imaginable, so make sure to rest
your eyes, preferably wearing an eye mask, while you're on the plane,
especially on long flights.
7. Using Devices for Too Long
All
screens are bad for your eye health, especially if you spend too much
time in front of them, be it a computer screen, your smartphone or your
TV. The reason behind is that concentrating on a screen for prolonged
periods of time is just too strenuous for your eyes, and the resulting
condition is the already familiar 'dry eye', of course, but also another
condition called Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), characterized by eyestrain, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, blurred vision and dry eyes.
To prevent the development of CVS, set up your desk ergonomically, adjust the lighting and the brightness of the screen, and keep a healthy posture while using the computer.
8. Smoking
Believe it or not, smoking can affect even your vision. In one study,
participants who were smoking 20 or more cigarettes daily were shown to
have worse color vision than those who didn't smoke more than 15
cigarettes a day. Smoking is also known to contribute to more serious
eye issues, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataract, and
diabetic retinopathy.
9. Sleeping With Eye Makeup On
If
washing your eye makeup off is bad for your eyes if you're using the
wrong products, not washing your eye makeup off is very harmful, always.
People often don't realize how much dirt and buildup can accumulate
inside their eyes, and this is especially true for eye makeup wearers.
Those who don't remove their eye makeup are in an even worse situation,
as they smear that gunk all over their eyes while they sleep.
While
mascara, false lashes and eyeliner can cause eye infections, especially
if you don't replace your makeup products regularly, glitter eyeshadow
can cause microtears on the surface of the eye, so make sure you clean
all the eye makeup from your eyes before you go to bed.
10. Doing Yard Work Without Safety Goggles
Eye
injuries are no joke. Unlike a cut, a bruise or even a fracture, you
won't be able to regrow an eye, which is why you should prioritize your
eye safety whenever you're doing something potentially risky for your
eyes. Such things include walking in the dark, carrying sharp objects,
such as scissors, and doing yard work.
When
it comes to yard work or home improvement, the easiest preventative
measure is to simply wear protective eyewear, but when it comes to
walking in the dark, you can just avoid the activity altogether. Also,
be careful and don't make any quick or sudden movement when you have
sharp objects in your hands.
11. Rubbing Your Eyes
Rubbing
your eyes may give you temporary relief to allergies or tiredness, but
try to abstain from it, and teach the little ones to do so as well, as
eye rubbing can be quite bad for you. To be more specific, eye rubbing
contributes to the development and worsening of a disorder called keratoconus, which is the thinning of the cornea.
This
condition typically can result in blurry or double vision, astigmatism,
nearsightedness, and light sensitivity, and it is especially common in
kids.
12. Certain Medications
Unfortunately,
many medications come with side effects that worsen your vision. For
example, antihistamines, antidepressants, cholesterol-lowering drugs,
beta-blockers, birth control pills, and others can all cause eye dryness, whereas certain antibiotics, diuretics, and NSAIDs can result in sensitivity to light.
Other medications, e.g. asthma medications, Parkinson’s, and depression medications can increase the risk of glaucoma.
If you are experiencing any eye or vision problems after starting a new
medication, talk to your doctor to seek alternative treatments.
13. Overusing Eye Drops
If
you need to resort to anti-redness or allergy drops more than the
directions suggest or use it for prolonged periods of time, you might be
actually suffering from another eye problem, most commonly dry eye, and
to feel better, you'll need to address that problem with an eye doctor.
Over
the counter eye drops are a fix for a brief problem, but prolonged use
can do more harm that good, as your eyes get accustomed to the extra
help and you might become addicted to the drops.
14. Poor Diet and Vitamin B Deficiency
Dietary
deficiencies, the most common one being a vitamin B12 deficiency, can
cause vision problems as well. Vitamin B12 deficiencies are common among
vegetarians and vegans, and these can even cause blindness, in some
cases. Instead, enjoy foods that your eyes will appreciate, such as:
- Salmon, tuna, and nuts, high in omega 3 fatty acids
- Eggs, high in B vitamins and protein
- Leafy greens, e.g. kale and spinach, rich in lutein
- Orange fruit and veggies, such as mango or carrots, which contain a lot of carotenoids.
15. Using Cheap Sunglasses
The
fact that a pair of sunglasses are darkened doesn't mean they offer any
or enough sun protection. Reputable brands will typically make UV
reflection tests before selling a product to make sure your eyes are
protected from the sun, as they should be. That's why we recommend you
invest in a pair of sunglasses that offer proven UV protection to
preserve your eye health and eyesight.