It's commonly known that preserving our eye health is necessary, but at times it's difficult to navigate the abundance of conflicting advice online. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a staggering 93 million adults in the U.S. are at a higher risk of vision loss, yet only half have seen an eye doctor within the past year. We aim to clarify some prevalent misconceptions about eye care, enabling you to adopt better habits that shield your valuable sight. Impressively, we discovered nine actions an optometrist never undertakes - and doesn't advise you to either.
Seize this opportunity to acquire significant understanding and support your eyes' enduring wellness. Julia Giyaur, MD, ophthalmologist and founding director at New York Laser Vision speaks with us, saying "Avoiding certain habits has positive outcomes such as maintaining excellent ocular health while also minimizing possibilities of developing issues related to sight or eye conditions eventually."
Tobacco Use
You might be astonished to learn that the habit of smoking amplifies your susceptibility to eye disorders such as cataracts, thyroid-associated eye disease, and age-linked macular deterioration. The harmful toxins found in tobacco smoke have potential to wreak havoc on the fragile tissues within our eyes, leading to vision-related issues.
As pointed out by Giyaur, "Tobacco use is renowned for its harm towards blood vessels. Its severity enhances hypertension's and diabetes' adverse effects on our eyes, causing visual impairment. Furthermore, it places the eye on a dangerous path towards retinal blood vessel blockage or stroke."
8 Unexpected Activities Draining Your Vitality
Overlooking Eye Check-ups
Consistent eye check-ups play a crucial role in preserving flawless vision, regardless of whether you use spectacles or contact lenses. By performing these tests, medical doctors are able to identify the early indicators of potential eye defects. Neglecting such checks could imply losing out on prompt treatment that might inhibit loss of sight or additional health issues.
"Regular vision examinations can reveal precursors to severe ocular diseases like glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy. These disorders often progress undetected until irreversible visual damage occurs. The prevention of these conditions is pivotal in sustaining healthy eyesight and annual screenings by an ophthalmologist are critical for this purpose. Individuals having systemic ailments like diabetes, or those with a family history marked by specific ocular diseases may require more frequent visits to their physician," Giyaur expresses.
Avoiding eye rubbing
Refrain from touching your eyes. The practice of rubbing them can result in eye irritation causing redness, and possibly even serious harm. It's instinctual to rub our eyes when they're itchy or uncomfortable, however, a safer alternative is to use an uncontaminated tissue or utilize the palm of your hand and apply gentle pressure on the affected areas.
"Constanly rubbing could lead to issues like infections of the eye, aggravation as well as cornea damage", warns Giyuar,"this habit has potential risks of worsening states such as dry eyes and causing scratches on corneas. Early age frequent ocular rubbing can contribute towards developing keratoconus,a condition characterized by progressive thinning and protrusion of the cornea resulting in profound vision impairment."
In some cases individuals have been known to induce various practices such as "cricketing" their feet for quicker sleep induction - with claims validating its effectiveness.
Ignoring UV Protection
Being exposed to UV rays for extended periods is often associated with cataracts, pterygium, and several other eye conditions. Hence, it's important you have on sunglasses that significantly block UVA and UVB rays - which should be worn even when the sky is clouded over.
According to Giyaur: "It's necessary to put your sight under the protective coverage of sunglasses with UV protection. This will keep harmful sunbeams at bay. Strive to pick out eye wear providing total protection against dangerous UVA and UVB radiations; such type are typically marked as 'UV400' or carrying the tag '100% UV protection'."
Inadequate Cleaning Practices for Contact Lenses
Contact lens users must adhere to strict hygiene practices. Overlooking this aspect may result in issues such as irritation, eye infections or even more grievous health complications. Before touching your lenses, ensure that you have washed your hands vigorously and then proceed to apply the correct solution for both cleansing and preserving them.
Exquisite care of contact lenses requires one to cleanse their hands with soap and water prior to touching the lenses. Daily cleanse, rinse, and disinfection using recommended lens solutions are imperative," Giyaur emphasizes. "Storing them properly within a clean container is just as vital while ensuring regular replacement of the solution according to professional advice on scheduled cleaning habits which guarantees comfortability, enhanced visibility and eye wellness"
Failing To Control Chronic Health Conditions
The National Eye Institute states that elevated levels of blood sugar can induce diabetic retinopathy. Likewise, increased blood pressure has the potential to inflict harm on your eye's blood vessels. It's paramount to sustain your eye health by regulating these conditions through medication, alterations in lifestyle and consistent appointments with your healthcare provider.
In conjunction with this, Giyaur expresses "Diseases induced by an overactive immune system such as rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid disorders including Graves' disease can affect the wellbeing of eyes leading it to have issues like inflammation, bulging and dryness. Neurological ailments like multiple sclerosis might end up triggering optic neuritis along with disruptions in vision. Moreover, certain medicines as well as infections too could trigger sight related side effects."
Overlooking the impact of digital eye strain
In this era dominated by technology, a large portion of our day is occupied by screen interaction. As per Cedars Sinai, side effects of relentless screen time could result in discomforts such as blurred vision or even headaches due to what's known as digital eye strain.
Giyaur suggests, "A key strategy in preventing eye fatigue and discomfort caused by long hours spent on screens or detailed tasks is implementing the 20-20-20 rule. This involves scheduling a break of 20 seconds every twenty minutes while working and focusing your eyes on an object approximately twenty feet away from you. It not only provides relief but also reduces the chances of causing severe harm to your eyes."
Neglecting a Nutritious Diet
Studies have evidenced that some essential nutrients like vitamins A, C, and E, in addition to antioxidants can play a crucial role in shielding your eyes from harm. To ensure the intake of these vital nutrients, it is recommended to diversify your meals with varied fruits and veggies.
As per Giyaur's advice, "The integration of leafy greens into your diet along with vibrant fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and oily fish aids in maintaining optimum vision while minimizing the risk associated with eye-related conditions such as cataracts or age-linked macular degeneration. The importance of hydration should not be overlooked too; ample water consumption fosters overall eye health."
Struggling with insufficient sleep
Falling short on sleep can result in eye strain, dryness of eyes, and other forms of discomfort.
Giyaur states "It's vital to have a good amount of sleep to up-keep the best health for your eyes. While you are sleeping, your eyes get an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate, minimizing the chance of experiencing eye strains and uneasiness. Lackluster amounts of sleep can cause vision disturbances like blurred sightlines, redness as well as dryness in the eyes. For these reasons it becomes all more necessary to aim for seven-eight hours of sound slumber every night."
