Our habits help us develop a happy and healthy lifestyle. Eating right, getting the proper amount of rest, and exercising can help us feel and look great! However, the opposite is also true. Unhealthy choices on a regular basis can harm our well-being. Many of these poor habits affect our eye health as well, resulting in blurry vision. Dr. Boyd has been helping people improve their vision for decades and is a leading Lasik surgeon in Vancouver. As such, our office gets a lot of questions in regards to improving eye health. Here are some of the most common eye-damaging habits and how to break them.
Not Wearing Protective Eyewear
Exposure to the sun’s UV and high-energy visible rays (HEV) can damage your eyes and eyelids. This can lead to a sunburn on your cornea (photokeratitis), cancer, macular degeneration, and even cataracts. The good thing is that prevention is as simple as wearing sunglasses. Just make sure they block 100% of the sun’s UV rays.
Eye injuries are quite common in the home. Cleaning products contain a variety of eye-damaging chemicals, oils can splatter when cooking, and home improvement projects provide ample opportunities for eye injuries. Wearing protective goggles in these situations is an effective strategy to prevent eye injuries.
With summer around the corner, you might think about hopping in the pool to enjoy the sunshine. Just remember to throw on your goggles before taking a swim. Pools contain tons of chemicals that can irritate your eyes. If you don’t have any goggles, try not to open your eyes underwater.
Using Expired Makeup
This might not be the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about eye health, but using expired makeup can cause irritation and infections. Bacteria thrive in warm, damp, and dark areas, like the inside of your mascara bottle. Throw away your expired makeup or any eye makeup that’s been on your shelf for longer than three months. Your eyes will thank you!
Rubbing Your Eyes
Try to be aware of how often you touch and rub your eyes in a day. Every time you bring your hands up to your face, you are exposing your eyes to bacteria that has built up on your hands. Wash your hands regularly throughout the day to keep them as clean as possible.
This is especially relevant if you’re prone to seasonal allergies, resulting in itchy eyes.
The blood vessels around your eyes are quite delicate. Itching and rubbing around your eyes can potentially break these tiny blood vessels, causing them to swell and dark circles to appear. Be very gentle if you have an itch that needs to be scratched!
Not Getting Enough Sleep
Not getting enough rest can have a seriously detrimental effect on your health. For your eyes, a lack of sleep can cause them to become bloodshot, irritated, and dry. A more severe condition called myokymia, which causes involuntary muscle spasms and eye twitches, can also happen when you do not prioritize sleep. Do your best to get the recommended amount of sleep every night to keep your eyes and body happy.
Poor Diet And Dehydration
Eating a poor diet is one of the leading causes of preventable diseases in North America. When it comes to your eyes, eating unhealthy foods can increase your risk of macular degeneration, cataracts, and much more. Make sure your diet is rich with fruits, vegetables, seeds, beans and legumes to keep your eyes in tip-top condition.
Drinking water keeps your body hydrated and your eyes lubricated. If you find your eyes drying out regularly, try assessing how much sodium and caffeine you’re consuming. These are diuretics and will dehydrate your body, straining bodily functions. Start limiting the salt and coffee and upping your water!
Smoking
Shocking right? By now the evidence is well known. Smoking has been linked to increasing your risk of glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. If you smoke, do your best to stop!
Having great vision can help you live your best life, so keep your eyes healthy as best as you can! If you are currently wearing glasses or contacts but would like to experience the freedom of Lasik, contact the laser eye surgery specialists at BoydVision. You can schedule a free consultation with Dr. Boyd, where you can discuss all available options for improving your vision, and pick up some more healthy eye tips!