While some eye conditions are hereditary, others can be a result of bad habits. You might be surprised to find out which habits are bad for your eyes. At Medical Arts Eye Optical, we are here to help you understand these bad habits and how to mitigate them for the health of your eyes. Here are some bad habits to break to maintain your eye health.
1. Not Wearing Sunglasses
Forgetting to wear your sunglasses exposes your eyes to the sun’s harmful UV rays which can prematurely age and damage your eyes and the skin around them. An extended period of exposure to the sun can lead to a sunburn on the front surface of the eye, causing dry eye or general irritation. If you continuously expose your eyes to harmful UV rays, you can begin early development of cataracts, macular degeneration, pinguecula, and pterygium. This can also lead to skin cancer around the eyes and on the eyelids. In order to protect your eyes, it is important to wear sunglasses that block UV radiation. Even on overcast days, you should wear sunglasses. UV rays can still be strong enough to cause damage. And finally, always remember to wear your sunscreen!
2. Smoking
Smoking harms more parts of your body than you may know or realize. It actually harms almost every part of your body. Researchers have linked smoking to eye diseases like dry eyes, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and more. Smoking causes you to be four times more likely to lose your vision compared to people who do not smoke. No matter how old you are, quitting smoking can help you reduce any risk of developing a serious eye condition.
3. Rubbing Your Eyes
The skin around your eyes and eyelids is very delicate, and rubbing your eyes can break tiny blood vessels under the skin’s surface. This can cause dark circles and/or a puffy appearance. If you rub your eyes regularly for a continuous period of time, you could develop a condition called keratoconus. This condition causes the cornea to thin, resulting in it losing its shape. Another symptom of this condition can cause blurry vision and glasses sometimes cannot correct this condition. Before rubbing your eyes, try and figure out why your eyes may be irritated in the first place. It could be for many reasons such as allergies or dry eyes, both of which can be resolved with medication prescribed by your eye doctor.
4. Sleep Deprivation
Believe it or not, you really do need your beauty sleep. Not getting enough sleep can lead to red, bloodshot eyes and dark circles, eye spasms, dry eyes, and blurry vision. Sleep deprivation can not only affect your eyesight but your health in general. So it is important to try and get around eight hours of sleep every night.
5. Not Eating a Healthy Diet
Incorporating the right foods into your diet to make sure you are getting the necessary vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids are very important for optimum eye health. Your diet should consist of colorful fruit, leafy greens, and fish. These foods are all essential for maintaining healthy eyes and vision. Making sure to eat these good foods for your eyes to help prevent many eye diseases.
6. Dehydration
Hydration is a key factor for your health in general. If you are not drinking around eight glasses of water a day on top of eating a high-sodium diet, your body can become dehydrated. This can cause your eyes to not produce tears which means they are not moisturized and properly nourished. Symptoms of dehydration can include dry eyes, red eyes, and puffy eyelids.
7. Not Having Regular Eye Exams
Just like going to any doctor normally, eye exams can detect any vision problems, eye diseases, and general health issues. Routine eye exams are important because they can detect any potential eye diseases early such as glaucoma. It is important to make your doctor aware of any potential eye diseases that run in your family, so they can determine what you are potentially at high risk for. The key to maintaining good eye health is proper eye care, so remember to keep scheduled eye exams in your routine for maintaining eye care.
How We Can Help!
At Medical Arts and Eyes, we want to make sure your eyes are in the best condition possible. By scheduling routine eye exams, we can not only double-check your prescription but make sure you do not have any other underlying eye conditions. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!