Your eyes are the windows to your soul as well as to the outside world. This organ enables you to perceive visual cues such as color, size, and shapes – which all greatly affect the quality of your life.
Sadly, many people don’t give their eyes enough care as they do with the other parts of their body. Due to this, their risk of different eye conditions, such as cataracts, vision, or blindness, is increased.
Studies have found many habits that can cause eye problems and some people might not even know that these actions are harmful. You need to be aware of how to take care of your visual organ. Listed below are some example of habits that can damage your eyes.
Forgetting To Wear Sunglasses
Sunglasses offer protection against harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. You should still put on your sunglasses even if it’s not that bright and sunny outside because 80 percent of UV rays can penetrate through the clouds.
Leaving Your Fan On
As you sleep, your fan can blow dust or pollen towards your eyes, thereby increasing your risk of irritation and dry eyes particularly if you’re wearing contact lenses. Avoid this by wearing a sleep mask, thoroughly cleaning your room, or setting your fan to turn off once you’ve fallen asleep.
Using Out-Of-Date Eye Makeup
Makeup can cause potential damage to your eyes. Your liquid liners and mascara should not be used for more than three months since bacteria might have already accumulated inside the packaging. Eye pencils should also be sharpened regularly to prevent bacterial transfer.
Swimming Without Goggles
You need to use goggles whenever you go swimming. Your eyes can be affected by the water environment that is conducive for the growth of microorganisms such as Acanthamoeba, that can infect your eyes. Moreover, people who wear contact lenses are even more vulnerable to these organisms since they can get trapped between the surface of your eyes and the lens. Also, if you’re going to swim in a pool with chlorine, you need to be extra careful since this chemical can strip away the film that protects your eyes, thus increasing the exposure to dirt and microorganisms.
Smoking
Consider smoking’s effect on your eyes if you still need reasons to quit smoking. According to studies, smokers have a higher risk of getting cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to blindness.
Staring At Screens For A Prolonged Time
Your computer screens, televisions, and mobile devices are slowly damaging your eyes with the blue light that they emit. Blue light is absorbed by cells in the retina, where they trigger the release of toxic chemicals which kill light receptors that are necessary for vision.
Overusing Eye Drops
Instead of relieving the redness of your eyes, too much application of eye drops can worsen your condition especially if it contains preservatives. To prevent this from happening, limit your use of it (4 times per day is recommended).
Not Getting Your Eyes Checked
Get your eyes checked regularly for you to be able to know if there is a problem with it. Eye doctors recommend getting a comprehensive eye test every two years. But people who are below 17 years old or are above 70 years old should get their eyes checked every year, along with those who suffer from eye problems.
