Seven Bad Eye Habits to Change Right Now

We all have bad habits we tend to ignore. Some habits are just minor indiscretions that don’t really have much of an impact. Others, however, can have life-changing effects. Bad habits involving your eyes can have a major impact on your vision.

In fact, if you are doing any of these seven things, you should stop right now.

• Smoking: Smoking is bad for every system in your body, and your eyes are no different. People who smoke are at an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, dry eye syndrome and diabetic retinopathy, all of which can cause vision loss.
• Rubbing your Eyes: Rubbing your eyes can break tiny blood vessels in your eyes, and can also transfer germs that can cause eye infections. What’s more, for someone with a pre-existing eye condition, rubbing the eyes can worsen those conditions.
• Overusing Eye Drops: Eye drops can be helpful, but when they’re overused even over-the-counter drops can do more harm than good. Used too frequently, eye drops can cause symptoms ranging from eye irritation to nausea and headaches. Always read labels carefully and remember that more is not always better.
• Sleeping in Contact Lenses: When you sleep in your lenses, you deprive your eyes of oxygen. What’s more, you could be trapping bacteria that can lead to serious eye infections.
• Staring at Screens: Too much time in front of the blue light from screens can cause eyestrain. There are ways to alleviate the problem, though, like wearing computer glasses, working in proper lighting and making a point to look away from the screen frequently.
• Eating poorly: A diet that lacks important nutrients can be damaging to your eyes, but filling your diet with vegetables, fruit and lean protein can go a long way toward protecting your eye health.
• Not wearing sunglasses: Sunglasses protect eyes from UV rays, reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

Perhaps the worst habit? Skipping the eye doctor. In fact, experts suggest an annual eye exam, for optimal eye health. If you’re looking for a reliable eye doctor in Derry, Spindel Eye Associates is here for you. Celebrating over thirty years of eye care, we proudly serve patients in Derry, Londonderry, and Windham, providing personalized eye care using top-of-the-line technology. For more information or to schedule an appointment call 603.421.6536 or contact us through our website.