Daily Habits That Could Be Harming Your Eye Health

One of your body’s most important sensory organs is the eyes. Without them, you will not be able to enjoy the sight of the people you love or our earth’s beautiful scenery. This is why you should always take good care of them.

Most people usually develop bad habits that are not ideal for their body organs. You might be one of these people and do not even realize it yet. Fortunately, you are in luck because this article will highlight some of the daily habits that could negatively impact your eye health.

Bad Habits For Your Eyes

Continuously Staring at Screens

More and more people are using digital devices than ever before. In fact, the average person spends between 7-10 hours every day on a computer, TV, or phone screen. However, the screens on phones are what get most people’s attention.

When one continuously stares at their phone’s screen for long periods without taking a break, they can develop certain eye conditions such as blurred vision, dry eyes, nausea, and dizziness.

When using your smartphone, or any other digital device, try to look away from the screen for a couple of minutes and give your eyes a break. Increasing the phone’s text size is also a good idea.

If you feel discomfort or continuous pain after using your smartphone or computer for a long time, you should seek medical attention and get a thorough eye exam. Your eye doctor may suggest lenses if you are straining.

Rubbing Your Eyes

Most people rub their eyes when their eyes feel uncomfortable or tired without even thinking much about it. You probably do it too. Rubbing your eyes might seem harmless, but it can lead to many eye complications, including;

Corneal Abrasion- These are painful scratches and marks that develop on the eye tissue’s clear layer covering the pupil and iris, also known as the cornea. You have a higher chance of developing corneal abrasions if you have small dust particles or debris when rubbing your eyes.

Keratoconus- This eye condition happens when the cornea thins and gets cone-shaped. Keratoconus distorts vision and makes it harder for one to see clearly. Rubbing the eyes, especially with the knuckles, might make you more prone to suffering from keratoconus.

Dark Circles Under the Eye- Vigorous rubbing of the eyes might end up breaking some of the small blood vessels under the eyes, resulting in the darkening of the skin under the eyes. Continuous rubbing can also cause wrinkles and puffiness.

Remember that your hands pick up a lot of dirt and bacteria throughout the day. So rubbing your eyes is not hygienic.

Also, always wash your hands before you touch your eyes. This is actually the best way to avoid getting infections caused by dirt, viruses, bacteria, and other foreign substances. Many viruses, such as influenza, enter your body via your eyes.

Smoking

So, you are probably wondering how smoking links to the eyes, right? Smoking can harm nearly every body part, including your eyes.

Smoking can trigger medical conditions such as macular degeneration, dry eyes, and cataracts, among other things. In worst-case scenarios, it can even result in complete vision loss.

It does not matter whether you are young or old; turning around and quitting smoking will always be a good idea. If you used to be a smoker or are still, you should visit an eye doctor and get a quick eye exam to check the health of your eyes.

Otherwise, you should quit smoking as tobacco is harmful to your health.

Not Wearing Sunglasses

Not many people know how important this one is, but it is very important to wear sunglasses when you go outside. When you are not wearing any sunglasses outside, you expose your eyes to harmful UV rays from the sun.

The sun’s HEV (high-energy visible) light can also age the eyes faster and cause harm to the eyelids. So, ensure to buy high-quality eyewear that blocks UV rays and put them on whenever you are outdoors– even when it’s not sunny.

Leaving Your Contacts on at Night

One of the most common mistakes people make with contacts is not taking them off before they go to bed. Doing this can not only lead to getting eye infections but also permanent eye damage.

So before you hit the hay, make sure you take off your contacts. Also, do not forget to wash your hands before you remove them and always store them well.

Not Wearing Makeup Correctly

All chemically manufactured makeup for the eyes, including eye creams, eyeliners, and mascara, is a huge potential threat to the health of your eyes. If you apply makeup too close to the lash lines, you may block some oil glands. As a result, this can trigger different eye infections.

Avoid using eye makeup that is over three months old. Dark and damp environments are bacteria breeding grounds. So there is a high probability that your old eye makeup has loads of bacteria.

Throw out your makeup and store the new products well to prevent bacteria formation.

Not Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

Besides not sharing eye makeup, of course, get in the habit of cleaning your applicators and brushes regularly, for example, once a week. However, if cleaning them regularly is something you will find hard to do, consider changing them often or changing the way you put on eyeliner.

When you apply it to the eyelid’s inner area, the eyeliner migrates quicker into the eye’s tear film. Eyeliner can cause eye infections, discomfort, sensitivity, and redness if it enters your eye’s tear film.

Conclusion

As you can see, rubbing your eyes, not wearing sunglasses outside, and using old eye makeup can increase your probability of developing eye infections, diseases, and injuries. Fortunately, though, there are a few habits you can integrate into your usual routines to help you avoid such issues.

Hopefully, now you know the good habits you need to pick up to help ensure good eye health.