UNITED STATES—Your eyesight is so precious. Think of all the things you wouldn’t be able to do if you lost it, even partially. Yet, we do things every day that can damage our eyesight, and most of the time, we do these things without even thinking about it. This is why it’s good to know just what these bad habits are that are so potentially detrimental to our vision so that we can quit them as soon as possible and protect our eyesight for longer. Read on to find out what some of the habits are.
Rubbing Your Eyes
A lot of the time, rubbing your eyes is something you will do without even thinking about it, and that’s why this is a dangerous habit. If you’re doing it without realizing it, it’s far easier to cause damage to your eyes and, eventually, your eyesight. The problem is that when you rub your eyes, you are causing any foreign bodies under the lid to come into close contact with your eyeball. Whether it’s dust, dirt, or anything else, this will easily scratch the cornea or cause it to become thinner.
If your eyes are dry or irritated for any reason, perhaps because you suffer from allergies or look at a screen for long periods of time during the day, you will rub them a lot more. To prevent this from happening too much, make sure you take regular breaks away from the screen, so your eyes don’t dry out, and take medication for your allergies in plenty of time to stop your eyes from getting itchy.
Smoking
Smoking is, we can all agree, a terrible habit for your overall health, but when it comes to your vision, you might not have realized that it can cause problems in this regard too. The reality is that your eyes can be very badly damaged when you smoke, and this can even lead to blindness over time.
Two big problems that come from smoking are macular degeneration and smoking (although, of course, these issues can come about naturally in non-smokers too). Although it is possible to have cataract surgery to fix the latter, the former is irreversible. In either case, your eyesight will be adversely affected.
Being Careless with Your Contact Lenses
If you’ve been wearing contact lenses for some time, it’s easy to get a little careless with them. Using the lenses becomes a habit, and you might stop taking the proper care and attention that is needed. This is not a good idea. If you rush the insertion or removal of contact lenses, then you can inadvertently damage your eye, and therefore your vision. Plus, if you don’t take the time to wash your hands before touching the contact lenses, you might be subject to infection. Sleeping in your contact lenses for convenience’s sake is also a bad idea as a lot of damage can be done this way.
If you need some help with understanding how to wear your contact lenses, speak to an expert and ask them to show you exactly what to do. If you do know already, but you aren’t following the instructions you were given, it’s time to reassess and get into a new routine. Your eyesight is worth a few extra moments of care.
