Our eyes are the most valued part of our body. Keeping them safe is one of the most important things we must do to retain a healthy life. Not realizing the importance of eyes, people don’t put a sincere effort to protect them. Many people have vision-related problems that might be hereditary, but several eye problems are due to the everyday habits that we have developed and we might not be aware of this.
To make you realize, we’ve listed seven unhealthy habits that can harm your eyes. So avoid these bad habits in your daily routine. You need to be more careful if you wear premium eyewear because you are already having a vision problem and you need to protect your eyes for years to come.
Rubbing Itchy Eyes
Our face is the main area where the signs of premature aging start showing first. This majorly depends on the lifestyle and daily habits. We all rub our eyes habitually either knowingly or unknowingly. There are delicate blood vessels under the eyelids, which easily break when you rub your eyes with your hands.
Frequent rubbing of itchy gives your eyes an aged look, some people even develop dark circles and drooping eyelids. Involuntary rubbing over a long period can cause an eye disorder called keratoconus. This results in the weakening of the cornea and loses its natural spherical shape. This eventually results in blurred vision and cannot be completely corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Stay Up Late at Night
If you are deprived of enough sleep, your eyes age faster! Recent studies have shown that less sleep can accelerate the ageing process and this is first observed near the eyes. Lack of sleep can cause mood swing, redness in the eyes, dark circles, puffy eyes, convulsion, blurry vision, and dry eyes. And above all these, it also results in involuntary eye spasms called myokymia. In order to avoid these detrimental effects make sure that you get proper sleep of at least 8 hours at night.
Not Drinking Enough Water
Our eyes are surrounded by fluid, which keeps them hydrated and it washes away any debris every time you blink. Not drinking enough water can result in dehydration that eventually leads to dry eyes, redness, and puffy eyelids. So drink enough water to retain a healthy balance of fluid in the eyes.
Unhealthy Diet
We eat a lot of fast food and processed food but we are unaware of the fact that this can adversely affect our eyes. Consuming too much monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can put you at higher risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). So curb your daily fat intake and eat plenty of fruits, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and fish that are rich in vitamins, nutrients, minerals, and essential fatty acids. Always maintain a healthy diet, do regular exercise and periodically monitor your Body Mass Index (BMI).
Not Wearing Sunglasses
Eyes are more sensitive to the sunlight. Whenever you go outside during sunny days make sure that you wear sunglasses that can block 100% of the sun’s UVA, UVB, and HEV rays. These rays are harmful and extended exposure can cause eye problems like Photokeratitis, pinguecula, and pterygium.
Smoking
Tobacco smoke contains harmful chemicals that can irritate your eyes and cause dryness of eyes. If you are an avid smoker then you are 4 times more likely to develop AMD as compared to non-smokers. Moreover, studies have proven that smoking can increase the risk of eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and uveitis. So keep in mind “Smoking is injurious to health”.
Not Getting Proper Eye Check-Ups
Many vision-related problems can be cured at the early stages and some can be controlled with luxury spectacles and proper correctors. But this is only possible if we could detect it correctly. Therefore, make sure that you go for periodic eye checkups every six months. Inform your ophthalmologist well in advance if there is a family history of a particular eye problem.
