4 Habits That Are Bad For Your Eyes

We all have our individual quirks or habits. Some of them, like biting your nails, procrastinating, and texting while on the road, are behaviors you know you should avoid. Well, you can also add the following to your list because they can adversely affect your eye health.  

Eating unhealthy foods. Many age-related eye diseases can be prevented or alleviated if you consume a diet that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as essential vitamins and minerals. You also need to make sure you’re drinking enough water, as this will help prevent the painful condition of dry eyes. 

Getting poor sleep. The aging process can speed up, especially if you don’t allow your body to get enough rest. Studies have shown that your eyes need at least five hours of sleep every night to properly replenish. Without that downtime, your eyes won’t be able to work at their full potential. Eye spasms, dry eye, and popped blood vessel due to eye strain can all happen when you don’t get enough shut eye.

Smoking. Your risk for ocular diseases, such as cataracts and macular degeneration, increases when you smoke. For instances, studies show that people who smoke tobacco double their risk of developing cataracts and smokes are 2.4 times more likely to have uveitis, which is the inflammation of the eye’s middle layer.

Exposing your eyes to UV rays. Sunglasses are a must have when you’re outside, no matter what part of the year it is. Baring your eyes to UV rays opens the door to many ocular diseases, including eyelid cancer, macular degeneration, cataracts, and photokeratitis (a sunburned cornea). 
And let’s not forgot one more bad habit—forgetting to schedule your annual eye exam! If you haven’t done so yet, this is your friendly reminder. Don’t wait another minute and call our practice serving the Novi and Walled Lake area.