Many people take their vision for granted, and they don’t look after their eyes as well as they should. In doing so, they could be permanently damaging their vision. At Jackson Davenport, we’re passionate about helping you to keep your eyes healthy.
In particular, we should be aware of the innocuous everyday things we do, which could be harming our eyesight. By bringing these things to your attention, we hope you will take measures to prevent them.
Nine Everyday Things That Might Be Impacting Ocular Health
1.) Night-Time Television
Watching television at night can result in eyestrain, headaches, dry eyes, and redness. That is because your eyes are continually adjusting to the changing light levels. What’s more, the blue light emitted by the TV screen may impact your sleep schedule because it suppresses melatonin, which is the hormone responsible for making humans feel sleepy. Not getting enough sleep is terrible for your eyesight for a multitude of reasons – but we’ll dive into those later. To stop your eyes from straining at night-time, at the very least switch on an overhead light. The best thing to do, though, is to avoid watching television before heading to bed.
2.) Smartphone Screens
Once again, screentime is the main culprit when it comes to poor ocular health. Spending too much time looking at your smartphone is known to impact eyesight negatively. It causes you to blink less frequently, so your eyes aren’t getting enough moisture, leading to dryness. As smartphone screens are relatively small, they can cause your eyes to strain, too. To correct these issues, we recommend increasing the font size on your phone because this means you won’t have to stare as hard. It’s also essential to take regular breaks from the screen. Every twenty minutes, you should remind yourself to look away. Dryness can be treated with lubricant eye drops, too.
3.) Missing Appointments
Don’t miss appointments with your eye doctor for an eye exam. Otherwise, you might develop a problem with your vision (like glaucoma) and not even realize it, causing further complications down the line. However, by visiting your optometrist, you can nip any problems in the bud. This also means the treatment will be quicker, easier, and cheaper. You should book an eye exam with your local eye care center at least once every two years. If you’re a driver, you really need to stay on top of this. Otherwise, you could be putting people at risk whilst on the road because you’re having to squint at signs or can’t see approaching vehicles.
4.) Forgetting Sunglasses
Sunglasses are much more than a fashion accessory. They are a brilliant form of protection for your eyes as they block UV rays from the sun, which can eventually damage your vision over time. If you have light sensitivity, sunglasses can minimize the impact of bright lights, too. Do be aware that some sunglasses are better than others, though. Certain manufacturers only create sunglasses for the sake of fashion, and so their product doesn’t provide sufficient protection from UV rays.
5.) Leaving in Contacts
It would help if you always took out your contact lenses at the end of the day. It doesn’t matter if you are tired and can’t be bothered. By sleeping in your contacts, you are significantly increasing your chances of developing an eye infection. Evidence suggests that this could also lead to permanent damage. Basically, please don’t do it! Before taking your contact lenses out, it’s best to wash your hands. Some eye doctors suggest using a little extra solution to coax them out, too.
6.) Rubbing Your Eyes
How could something so innocuous be so damaging to our eyesight? Well, there are several reasons why rubbing your eyes is terrible. For one, this can cause the blood vessels beneath our eyelids to burst. What’s more, our hands are teeming with bacteria that we have picked up throughout the day. As such, you could expose your eyes to infection or irritation by rubbing them. Strangely, you are also more like to give yourself eyebags by doing this. And let’s not forget that you squish your eyeballs when you push against them, which definitely can’t be right. So, all in all – don’t rub your eyes.
7.) Makeup Hygiene
Making sure to maintain good hygiene with your makeup is very important for your ocular health. Don’t use more than 3 months old products because this increases the likelihood of you developing an infection. This is particularly pertinent for products like mascara, eyeliners, eyeshadows, and eye creams. Bacteria might grow in the container without you even realizing it. Makeup can also sometimes block the oil glands on your eyelids, so you should be careful about applying products close to your lash line. Make sure to wipe off your makeup at the end of every night for this reason, too. Most importantly, don’t share products with other people! That could lead to you spreading infections like conjunctivitis.
8.) Sleep Deprivation
Sleep is essential for our physical and mental health. It should be your priority to get seven hours (at least) of sleep every night. Otherwise, you might suffer from ailments like depression and a reduced immune system. Sleep is also essential for our ocular health. Sleep-deprived people will often complain that their eyes are twitching, dry, or bleary. They might even experience pain. To ensure you’re getting enough sleep, you need to avoid screens in the evening and prioritize your rest over things like work. You might benefit from eye masks, too.
9.) Safety Goggles
Are you supposed to wear safety goggles at work? If so, don’t ever forget about them! Debris can enter your eyes when doing things like carpentry or construction work. This will scratch the surface of the cornea. Not only is this painful, but it can also allow an infection to enter your eye. You might develop a nasty disease – or even go blind – if you’re not careful.
Now you know what to avoid in your everyday life, start putting preventative measures in place. Keeping your eyes happy and healthy should be everyone’s priority. Contact us if you need assistance or want to find out more about our range of eyeglasses and other offerings.