These 4 Habits Are Damaging Your Eyes

We all have a couple bad habits that we can’t seem to kick – whether it is biting your fingernails or skipping flossing we are all guilty of something. But what if you found out your bad habits were affecting your eye health? We are here to help! Here are 4 bad habits that could be negatively impacting your eyes.

Constantly Being Behind A Screen

Whether it’s your cell phone, computer, or TV most people spent a lot of their time behind a screen. This can be harmful to your eyes because of the blue light that is emitted from these screens that can cause an increase in your eye strain. It is important to take breaks from looking at these screens throughout the day to ensure you are giving your eyes a rest.

Rubbing Your Eyes

Rubbing your eyes can have a negative impact on your eye health for multiple reasons. Firstly, your hands are covered in germs and bacteria and by rubbing your eyes with them you are exposing your eyes to these germs. In addition to this, you can end up damaging your cornea from the constant rubbing motion which can result in loss of vision. Your eyes will naturally use tears to wash away debris that may be in your eyes, so trust your eyes and try to keep your hands away from them as much as possible.

Sleeping In Cosmetics

If you wear makeup you have had this experience before – you are already in bed and realize you forgot to wash your makeup off. What next? Some will peel themselves out of bed to remove the day’s makeup but others will shrug it off and go to bed. When you sleep in makeup you are also sleeping in all the collected bacteria throughout the day. To protect your eyes make sure you are removing away your makeup before falling asleep at night to reduce your risk of an eye infection.

Not Wearing Sunglasses

It is important to take preventative steps to protect your vision. By wearing sunglasses outside you not only will protect your eyes from damaging UV rays but you will reduce your exposure to the wind and direct sunlight that can dry out your eyes. The longer that your unprotected eyes are exposed to UV rays the higher your chances of developing cataracts or macular degeneration later in your life are. Next time you are headed outside don’t forget to grab your sunglasses on the way out!

It is important to ensure that you are eating foods that are good for your overall health as well as your eye health! I’m sure you’ve heard to eat more carrots if you want strong eyes or fill your diet with leafy greens but what are you eating that could be harming your eye health? Since your eyes are vascular it is important to have a diet that is heart healthy in order to keep them on their A game! Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered – here are 3 things in your diet that are damaging your eye health!

Sweetened Drinks

The first thing in your diet that will contribute to negative eye health is sweetened drinks. These sweetened drinks are unhealthy for your eyes because they have a negative impact on your blood pressure level. The source of these sugars commonly comes from additives such as high fructose corn syrup, which raises your blood pressure. In addition to an effect on your blood pressure level, these sugary drinks also increase your triglyceride level making them a poor choice for a heart-healthy and eye-friendly diet.

Processed Foods

Consuming a diet that is high in processed foods has a negative impact on multiple aspects of your health, including your vision. These foods are full of additives that negatively impact your overall health and take a toll on your cardiovascular health. By limiting the number of processed foods, you consume you can help keep your eyes healthy and prevent many eye diseases such as macular degeneration.

Margarine

Nutritionists have stated that margarine is a source of unhealthy trans fatty acids which increases your chance of developing a cardiovascular disease. The processing and chemicals that are used to make margarine can lead to clogged arteries putting your eyes, heart, and whole body at risk.

By cutting back or cutting these 3 things out of your diet you can decrease your chances of developing an eye disease such as macular degeneration, cataracts and many more!