Most people know that habits like staring straight into the sun, wearing dirty contact lenses and smoking are bad for the eyes. You may be surprised to learn that there are some normal, everyday habits that can potentially harm your eyes. In this blog post, the team at Island Eye Surgicenter reveals a few everyday habits that can possibly damage your eyes. The team also suggests some solutions.
Spending All Day Staring at the Computer
It is common to work at a computer all day, come home and spend the evening browsing a laptop or tablet. You probably won’t lose vision from this habit, but you might cause eyestrain, an umbrella term for symptoms like fatigue, dry eye, sore eyes and a sore neck.
The fix: Setting up your computer workstation properly can cut down on eye strain. Position your monitor approximately 25 inches from you. Make sure you are looking straight ahead or slightly downward at the monitor. Take short 20-second breaks every 20 minutes and focus your eyes on something 20 feet away (this is known as the 20-20-20 rule).
Rubbing Your Eyes
Rubbing your eyes is fairly innocuous, unless you suffer from eye allergies. If you do, you might exacerbate the allergies. The rubbing disturbs the cells that release histamine, which causes redness and itching. Your hands can also transmit bacteria and viruses to your eyes, which might cause infection.
The fix: Try an over-the-counter antihistamine to soothe symptoms. Lubricating eye drops and cool compresses can also provide relief. If those don’t work, ask your allergist or eye doctor for a prescription for special eye drops.
Not Wearing Sunglasses
Your eyes need protection from the sun as much as your skin does. Without it, your eyes may sustain damage from long-term sun exposure, which is irreversible.
The fix: Find a pair of sunglasses with 99 percent UVA/UVB protection. If you’re around the beach or snow, wear a pair of wraparound sunglasses, which offer extra protection from the intense glare.
Eating Junk Food
Consuming a diet full of junk means that your eyes don’t receive the essential vitamins and minerals they need to thrive.
The fix: Eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet. Fruits and vegetables are chock-full of vitamins and minerals that can stave off or help manage age-related eye diseases. Look for leafy vegetables and colorful fruits and vegetables.
For more information about keeping your eyes healthy and your vision at its best, please contact the team at Island Eye Surgicenter. Call us at (516) 877-2400 or (516) 877-1560.
