According to the CDC, poor eyesight is one of the increasing eye problems around the globe. It is becoming a common health issue among young people mainly due to unhealthy lifestyle habits. There are many factors that lead to eye problems or poor vision such as age, genetics and environment. Also, especially in this digital era where screens continuously surround us, it is easy to develop an unhealthy habit and various eye diseases plus disorders.
There are many common unhealthy habits you may have adopted that can be the cause of eyesight problems. You have to notice these habits, change them and maintain a healthy lifestyle for your better eye health. Following are the 7 Bad Habits that can lead to weak eyesight, eye defects or even severe eye disease.
Table of Contents
1. Overuse of Smartphones
Smartphones- undoubtedly have become one of the basic necessities of our life. In fact, you would also have observed children using smartphones. There have been various reports of smartphones damaging the eyesight and a culprit for our weak eyesight.
Spending too much time on your smartphones or even on a laptop and television can be harmful to your eyes. Blinking is good for your eyes, as it provides sufficient lubrication which is necessary for your eye cleaning. However, blinking is greatly reduced while using any electronic device. Excessive time on all these screen-based devices can give you severe eye strain symptoms which include burning eyes, headache, disrupted sleep and even blurred vision. Severe eye strain can also cause permanent eyesight problems.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School and the University of Toledo reported having found the harmful effects of the blue light emitted from the screens of laptops, tablets and even smartphones. This blue light leads to severe macular degeneration or loss of vision by stimulating the growth of “Poisonous Molecules” in your eyes.
2. Insufficient Sleep
Even though digitization has greatly improved the quality of our lives, sleep has become more of a luxury. Digital distractions are numerous, we rather binge watching our favourite shows all night, instead of sleeping.
Having a proper sleeping routine is extremely important. According to the research published in the journal of Nature and Science of Sleep an average person needs 6-8 hours of daily sleep to function properly and to keep their immune system in check. Lack of proper sleep can really put a strain on your eyes leading to severe eye strain, eye fatigue, dark circles and eyes can even become red, bloodshot and one may lose eyesight over time. It can also cause insomnia.
Therefore sleep is needed as it not only provides lubrication to the eyes and ease the strain but also recovers your eyes from a long day of use. So, 6-8 hours of sleep not only will improve your eyesight but can affect your overall health in a positive manner.
3. Unhealthy Diet and Eating Habits
Like you have always heard, you become what you eat and that carrots are good for your eyes health. Then, you have heard correctly, an unhealthy diet and bad eating habits can affect your vision. But, not only just carrots, there are other vegetables and fruits that are good for the eyes.
Fruits and Vegetables especially the yellow and orange coloured ones are rich in zinc, mega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and high in beta carotene, these all nutrients are extremely beneficial for healthy eyesight. Dark green leafy vegetables also have nutrients such as zeaxanthin and lutein which helps in reducing the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Fish, eggs, nuts and other seafood is also good for your eyesight.
4. Drinking insufficient Water- Not Proper Hydration for Body
Staying hydrated is necessary for a healthy body and mind. Even, it is essential for your eyes to keep your eyes well lubricated and produce tears to reduce friction and strain in the eyes. So if you are drinking less water, you are dehydrating your whole body and especially eyes, thus stopping them from producing tears, which is essential for the nourishment and moisture for your eyes. If you are dehydrated, your eyes will become red, dry and puffy which makes you look unhealthy and unattractive.
5. Excessive Rubbing of Eyes
Excessive rubbing your eyes might seem to give you a soothing effect for your strained eyes. Like others, you might also like to believe that rubbing your eyes frequently won’t affect your eyesight. However, you need to avoid this temptation. You are increasing the risk of getting various eye infections and even allergic conjunctivitis due to this habit that can further lead to “Keratoconus”.
According to the top reviewed Ophthalmologist in Lahore, Dr. Muhammad Saad Aziz “Keratoconus is the reshaping and thinning of the cornea, and it’ll appear round to cone in this condition.” In the longer run, it can cause loss of eyesight. This habit can even worsen pre-existing eye diseases such as glaucoma and myopia. If you rub your eyes excessively, you can even break the thin blood vessels that are under your eyelids. Try avoiding this habit and it’s better to soothe the irritation in your eyes by using a cold compress.
6. Dim Light- Not using Proper Light can lead to weak eyesight
You might have noticed that some of us use either dim light or excessively bright light while working. Both of these habits are harmful to the eyes. Excessive bright light can cause glare and dim light can put extra strain on your eyes making it difficult for your eyes to focus, leading to severe kind of eye fatigue.
So, if you are working or reading it is better to have a lamp at your workplace to reduce the strain in your eyes. In fact, proper light becomes much more necessary when you are watching television or using smartphones, tablets and laptops as the blue light emitting from them is harmful to eyes and you may end up having weak eyesight or severe retina problems.
7. Smoking
Smoking is injurious to your health. There are numerous reasons why you should never smoke. Throat cancer and lung cancer, both are common harmful health issues due to smoking. But, have you ever thought that smoking can affect your eyesight? Or it can also be the cause of various hidden health issues. If not, then this is the right time.
Smoking or using any other tobacco products can cause severe cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, uveitis and various other serious eye diseases. According to the research, smoking not only weakens your immune system but smokers can have about 4 times higher risk of becoming blind as compared to those who don’t smoke.
In the End
Apart from the aforementioned habits, not wearing sunglasses regularly can expose your eyes to be affected by harmful high- energy visible (HEV) and Ultra Violet (UV) rays. Wearing contact lenses is yet another factor which can affect eye health because when you are wearing them, the oxygen supply in your eyes gets limited. The longer you wear them the higher the risk.
When the oxygen becomes limited in the eyes, the cornea of the eye swells up which can create and expose a small gap from where the bacteria can enter and cause various eye infections and increase the risk of keratitis. Long term use of contact lenses can also negatively affect eyesight. Therefore, it is recommended to remove contact lenses before sleeping. You have got only two pairs of eyes, so make sure to opt for the right eye care to improve your eyesight. If you feel blurry vision or constant headaches, make sure to consult an eye specialist. In case of any ambiguities or eyecare concerns, you can easily connect with the best eye specialists all over Pakistan via Healthwire.
