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Vision is vital to our health, as it accounts for up to 80% of our eyesight. impressions with our eyes. These impressions can be innocent things, like exploring the world around us or picking up non-verbal cues from others. It can also protect us from dangerous situations.
Many health problems affect our vision, such as: tired eyes and more. Our daily behaviors can contribute to these conditions. We’ll cover some of the most common factors that contribute to weakened vision, ways to improve it, and healthy tips to keep your eyes strong.
Common factors that contribute to poor vision
Below you will see which habits can damage your vision:
Rubbing your eyes too much
Allergies can tickle your eyes. Our natural tendency is to rub them because it gives temporary relief. Rubbing can lead to corneal damage. Your cornea is the protective layer over your eye. Once it is damaged, you can keratoconus. It happens when your cornea thins and bulges outward. The new shape changes how your eye processes impressions, causing them to become distorted and blurry.
Smoking and drinking alcohol
Smoking affects more than just your lungs and heart, it can also damage your eyes. Dr. Michael O. McKinney, a family physician, notes, “Puffing increases your risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and damage to the optic nerve.” Cataracts are cloudy areas that form in your eyes, causing blurred vision. light sensitivity and difficulty seeing in the dark.
Meanwhile, alcohol can play havoc with your eyes. When you drink, your vision becomes blurrier the more you drink. It can also result in bloodshot eyes. A pattern of heavy drinking can lead to chronic conditions such as macular degenerationThis is when you lose vision in the middle of your eyes.
Too much screen time
We are chained to our digital appendages, with average screen time seven hours a daySpending so much time doing this exposes your eyes to too much blue light coming from our phones, tablets, TVs and computers.
Using old contact lenses
Recycling contact lenses is a bad idea because they contain expired solutions. The expired solution can promote the growth of bacteria, resulting in bacterial keratitis. This bacterial infection attacks your cornea and can cause redness, blurred vision, and sensitivity to light.
Read more: Best Places to Buy Contact Lenses Online
Exposure to UV radiation
UV rays can give your skin a tanned appearance, but the same cannot be said for your eyes. age all eye structures. It can lead to corneal damage, macular degeneration and cataracts. If you are outdoors for prolonged sun exposure, wearing sunglasses is as necessary as sunscreen.
Health conditions
According to the Mayo Clinic, if you: high bloodpressureyour eyes are more susceptible to blood vessel damage. Meanwhile, people who have had diabetes for a long time are at risk of diabetic retinopathywhat happens when the blood vessels in your eyes leak into your retina. It can cause permanent damage, which can lead to blindness if left untreated.
Poor diet
What you eat can also affect the health of your eyes. Diets high in saturated fats promote plaque growth in the blood vessels in your eyes, which can partially or completely block your vision. Meanwhile, a diet without proper nutrition deprives your body of the vitamins and minerals it needs for healthy development and can lead to blindness in extreme cases.
Using expired makeup
Eye makeup tends to be a shorter shelf life than other makeup. That’s why you need to pay attention to the expiration date, because if you use expired makeup, it’s easier for bacteria to grow around your eyes. It makes them more susceptible to infections like pink eye.
3 Simple Tips to Strengthen Your Eyes
Here are some tips to strengthen your eyesight:
Take breaks from your screens
Try to take a break every hour if you can. Whether it’s getting up to take a walk or doing eye exercises, it will give your eyes a much-needed break from screen time. Also, don’t use your digital devices for 30 minutes before bed. It will help your brain adjust to the darkness, which will help produce melatonin for a more restful sleep.
Protect your eyes from UV radiation
Exposure to UV radiation can damage all eye structures. It can lead to corneal damage, cataracts or macular degeneration. Dr. McKinney advises, “Avoid harmful UV rays by wearing sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays.”
Choosing the right protective eyewear is a matter of trial and error. You will want to try on several pairs to ensure comfort and a good fit on your face. A good fit will keep UV rays or other debris from getting into your eyes.
Read more: How to Protect Your Eyes from the Sun’s UV Rays
Practice eye exercises
Dr. McKinney recommends regular eye exercises to improve focus and flexibility. One of the most popular is the 20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, you take a 20-second break from your screen to focus on an object 20 feet away.
Another way to reduce eye strain is with the figure eight exercise. Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Focus your eyes on a spot 10 feet away from you. If you’re not sure how far away you are, measure it before you begin the exercise. From here, you want to draw a figure eight with your eyes around that spot. Follow this pattern for 30 seconds, then reverse it for another 30.
Simple Lifestyle Habits for Healthy Eyes
There are a number of healthy habits you can adopt for healthier eyes. These include:
Stay hydrated
Hydration is essential for maintaining the moisture balance in your eyes. The U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recommend that women 11.5 cups of water per day while men consume 15.5. When you become dehydrated, your body will can’t produce enough tears. Tears wash away dirt and other objects that can get into your eyes. Dry eyes make you more susceptible to infections and conditions such as dry eyes.
Read more: How do you get more electrolytes to stay hydrated?
Make sure you get enough rest
If you sleep well, eyes produce sufficient moisture. These tears can clean out any dirt or allergens that get into your eyes. It also helps heal your body, including your eyes. If you don’t sleep well, your body can’t heal itself the way it should. This can result in dry, bloodshot, or itchy eyes.
Read more: Best mattresses, tested by our experts
Deal with stress
Stress affects many aspects of your health, including your vision. If you suffer from anxiety or stress, it may dry your eyesmaking them more susceptible to infection. If you are having trouble managing stress, consult a therapist who can help you discover the source and work with you to develop coping exercises for managing stress.
Read more: 7 Tactics to Relieve Stress
Annual eye exams
Dr. McKinney notes, “Examine your eyes regularly, as it can help you know if there are any problems before they affect your vision. I recommend having an eye exam every two years or once a year, depending on whether there are any pre-existing conditions with your eyes.”
Eat a balanced diet
“Fish, green leafy vegetables and carrots are among the many other foods that contain vitamins A, C, E and zinc, which promote eye health. Eating fish, such as salmon, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, is beneficial for keeping the retina healthy,” McKinney adds.
Read more: 12 Best Foods for Healthy Vision
