Optician Reveals Mistakes That Are Damaging To Our Eyes

Watching Too Much TV

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In the current day and age, we all spend what might be way too long in front of our TV screens and this can cause a load of damage to our eyes. Staring at the television screens for a prolonged period of time can cause issues like eye strain, blurred vision and headaches. Maybe cut down the binge a little earlier from now on?Original content sourced from Quizzable.com

Using Our Phones Too Much

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Just like our addiction to watching TV our phones have also become glued to our hands as well. Everyone seems to have developed the habit of checking their phone every 2 seconds to check messages or in most cases, dangerously scroll through social media pages unnecessarily.

Poor Lighting

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You might not realise how important it is to surround yourself in an area with good lighting, but insufficient light can force our eyes to have to work harder to process information. This can force our eyes to feel strained or tired which can be problematic for the health of your eyes.

Neglecting Eye Exams

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Although many people have perfect vision, it's still important to have regular visits to the optometrists to help maintain good eye health. They will be able to detect any early signs of future problems or diseases which, if left unchecked, could lead to permanent vision loss in the future.

Rubbing Your Eyes

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We've all rubbed our eyes when we're feeling tired or if they're itchy haven't we, it's pretty much a natural reaction to the feeling. However, we need to break out of this habit as it can be detrimental. Rubbing the eyes can micro-damage the skin meaning the dirt from our hands can cause infections.

Not Wearing Sunglasses

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Although many of us choose to wear our sunglasses as a way to look good, they are essential in defending the eyes from UV radiation.  Exposure to UV rays can ultimately cause the development of cataracts and we should always be trying to protect them. Make sure you get some proper ones though!

Not Wearing Safety Goggles

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If you work in an environment where you're going to be putting your eyes at risk (like construction, woodwork or science) then you should always wear the safety goggles you'll have been provided with. Any form of flying debris or or chemicals could cause serious eye injuries if not protected properly.

Smoking Cigarettes

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We all know how dangerous smoking can be for the overall health of our body, but did you know that it can also impact our eye health too. The chemicals from smoking can damage the blood vessels in our eyes which can hinder the blood flow and eventually ruin your vision permanently.

Expired Eye Drops

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If you have to use eyedrops then please make sure that you're using stuff that's actually in date. Just like food, our eye drops can deteriorate over time and an expired bottle won't do you any good. Instead, they might even end up causing more harm than good by potentially causing some irritation.

Overusing Eyedrops

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Not only do you need to be careful with expired eye drops, you also need to avoid using too much on your eyes too. Although they will assist you in providing some relief, if you use too much you'll soon realise that the excessive amount will just end up making your eyes more red.

Not Sleeping Enough

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Sleep is crucial for our overall health, but you might not be aware that it's really important for your eyes. Failing to get enough z's can end up in your eyes becoming red and dry. This is because during our sleep our eyes rejuvenate; sleep helps the eyes maintain moisture levels.

A Poor Diet

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You might not have known that what you eat as part of your diet can affect your eyes. If your diet is lacking in vitamins like: A,C and E then you might develop some eye problems. These deficiencies could weaken your eyes defences or impair general vision. Make sure to have a look and see what you need to introduce!

Ignoring Your Dry Eyes

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You might think that having dry eyes will go away with time, but the worst thing you can choose to do is ignore them! Dry eyes might be nothing, but it could also be a sign of an underlying issue that needs medical help. Always check in with an optometrist or medical specialist just to make sure.

Overusing Contact Lenses

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Many people turn to contact lenses instead of using glasses as a way to help support their vision, but overusing them can have adverse effects. Your eyes might look cool, but it can decrease oxygen flow to your cornea which will ultimately cause some discomfort and potentially infections.

Not Cleaning Contact Lenses

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You also need to make sure that you're regularly cleaning your contact lenses to avoid any discomfort too. Without cleaning them you'd be allowing dirt and bacteria to accumulate which could be dangerous. Make sure to stock up on some appropriate cleaning solutions to help.

Sleeping With Contact Lenses In

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If there's one thing you definitely shouldn't do when wearing contact lenses, it'd be to sleep in them! This can be quite risky and bacteria can quickly build up on the surface of the lens. Check the box though as some lenses are actually suitable for use over longer periods of time.

Leaving Make-Up On

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You've probably come home from a night out and been either too drunk or too tired to remove your make-up right? Well you might want to avoid doing that again as make-up like mascara and eyeliner can actually clog up the oil glands around your eyelids which could lead to styes.

Wearing Glasses Too Much

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Although many of us will have been prescribed glasses to help with our vision, wearing them too much can often cause more problems than good. If you become over-reliant then your eye's natural ability to focus can worsen over time. Wear them as suggested by your optometrist!

Not Looking After Allergies

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If you suffer from allergies then you'll know that that they can appear in many ways, including itchy and red eyes. Ignoring these allergies could lead to some severe problems like conjunctivitis, therefore it's extremely important to seek the correct over-the-counter or prescription medicines.

Swimming Without Goggles

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It might seem a little stupid, but you should always make sure that you're following the correct safety precautions when taking part in high-risk activities. Swimming, can always cause our eyes problems as our pools are filled with chlorine which can be damaging to our eyesight.

Ignoring Your Family History

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Okay, you might not know everything about your family's medical history but it might be worth trying to find out! Neglecting information like this might cause you to miss out on opportunities to detect future problems early and try and prevent some of the pain you might go through.

Too Much Alcohol

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Just like smoking, drinking too much alcohol can also cause our eyes some problems. Heavy drinking has been scientifically proven to increase a person's chances of developing issues like cataracts or degeneration. Stick to moderated alcohol consumption for your overall health anyway!

Diabetes

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You might not realise this, but the condition diabetes can have an adverse effect on the health of your eyes. By ignoring the management of diabetes you're opening yourself up to vision loss. Make sure to protect your blood sugar level, very strictly, if you have diabetes anyway.

Using Old Make-Up

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I already mentioned that sleeping with your make-up is dangerous, but so is using make-up that might have expired. The problems with the two are very similar as bacteria caught up in make-up can actually thrive. Why not go out and treat yourself to a new set of make-up?

Ignoring Warning Signs

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When it comes to your own body, you should never ignore any of the potential health issues that might arise, including with regards to your eyes. If you ever notice any eye pain or vision changes then you should always go and get them checked out. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Ignoring High Blood Pressure

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You might not have already known this, but high blood pressure can actually cause some serious problems to the health of your eyes. It can cause some permanent and irreversible damage to the blood vessels in your eyes and cause vision loss or glaucoma's in certain sufferers.

Not Taking Breaks When Tired

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If you're spending long periods of time staring at screens or having to concentrate then you'll probably notice your eyes getting strained or tired. You should always give yourself a break or symptoms might get worse. There is something known as the 20-20-20 rule that optometrists suggest where, after 20 seconds of work, you look at something 20ft away for 20 seconds!

Staring At The Sun

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You're taught from a young age to make sure that you don't look at the sun for too long and that's probably for the best. Staring at the sun, especially during solar eclipses can cause some irreparable damage to your retina's which could ultimately cause permanent vision loss.

Getting Shampoo In Your Eyes

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We've all read the back of the shampoo bottle at some point in our lives right? Well you should definitely follow the rules on the label! The chemicals within the shampoo can actually disrupt the tear layer on our eyeballs which might cause some redness. Get some immediate medical attention.

Wearing Glasses When You Don't Need Too

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You might want to look cool by adding some glasses to your look, but if you do, don't use any with real lenses in! Wearing prescription glasses without actually needing the help will only damage your eyes by altering the way they focus on things. Don't give your eyes any reason to give up on you!