According to ophthalmologists, we cause serious damage to our own eyes every day. And we don’t think about it.

Wesley Hamada, PhD in Optometry at LensCrafters , explained why you need to see a specialist regularly, even if you have normal vision, and what habits harm our eyes.

Habit #1: Constantly stare at the screen

This problem is relevant for many people – everyone who works at a computer every day from 8:00 to 17:00, watches TV, uses a smartphone for a long time or reads e-books.

“Our eyes need moisture. This is why we blink regularly. However, when a person carefully looks at something, the frequency of blinking begins to decrease markedly. As a result, the eyes quickly get tired, redden and dry. Decreased blinking frequency causes increased tear evaporation and, as a result, dry eyes,” explains Wesley Hamada.

Use the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, take 20-second breaks from your work while looking at an object about 6 meters away from you. Thanks to the switching of attention, psychosomatic overstrain is prevented, and productivity increases. This is a useful rest not only for the eyes, but for the whole organism as a whole.

Habit number 2: use low-quality sunglasses

Hamada points out that if sunglasses don’t have UV filters, they can’t save your eyes from ultraviolet radiation, which can cause a number of dangerous conditions, from dry eye syndrome to cataracts. Such optics perform an exclusively decorative function.

When choosing sunglasses, make sure that they are able to protect your eyes from UV-A and UV-B rays. And don’t forget to wear a wide-brimmed hat or cap with a large visor.

By the way, contact lenses with a UV filter also provide protection for some structures of the eye, for example, the cornea, lens and retina from harmful radiation (already in constant mode). These are, for example, one-day hypergel ⁵³ Biotrue ^® lenses ONEday is not only UV protected ⁵¹ , but also moisture content like our eyes ⁵² .

Habit #3: Overwear contact lenses and don’t change containers

Millions of bacteria live on the mucous membrane of our eyes. The longer you wear the same pair of contact lenses, the more microorganisms remain on their surface even after treatment with a special solution. And the higher the chances of developing an eye infection. That is why contact optics have a limited wear time.

#CERTIFICATE#

As for the lens containers, they need to be changed every month. Most of us store contact optics in the bathroom, surrounded by billions of bacteria. Therefore, simply pouring out the used solution is not enough – you need to properly rinse the container with a fresh portion of the lens solution. Do this in the morning so that the container can dry out completely in the evening. And do not leave it on an open shelf – it is better to put it in a tightly closed medicine cabinet.

Habit #4: Not Enough Vitamins for Eye Health

Everything that enters our body inevitably affects the condition of the eyes. Smoking, for example, causes clouding of the lens, and a balanced diet, on the contrary, helps to strengthen vision. As Hamada notes, the wrong diet, which increases the risk of developing pathologies such as hypertension, diabetes and high blood cholesterol levels, will also be detrimental to the eyes.

To preserve your eyesight, enrich your diet with vitamins and minerals. Take vitamin complexes that contain vitamins A, C, E and B12 – they help destroy free radicals and improve retinal function. Fish oil has a preventive effect on dry eye syndrome. Lutein has a beneficial effect on the retina – leafy greens are rich in it.

Habit #5: Sleeping with makeup on

Many do not realize how dangerous a “sleepover with makeup” is. The fact is that if it gets on the cornea of the eye, any cosmetics – mascara, shadows, liquid eyeliner – can provoke the development of infection and even mechanical damage to the eyes.

Habit number 6: do not see an ophthalmologist

As we age, our eyesight inevitably deteriorates. As Dr. Hamada says, “our eyes age along with the rest of the body.” You can either let it take its course, or entrust your eyes to a professional who will tell you how to maintain and even restore vision.

Many pathological processes, such as cataracts or dry eye syndrome, can be diagnosed even at the earliest stages. The main thing is to detect pathology in time. And then there is a chance to avoid a decrease in vision, or a general deterioration in the quality of life.

Even if you think your vision is not impaired, you should be checked by an ophthalmologist at least once every 6 months. The eyes can diagnose damage to blood vessels, tumors and inflammation without the use of invasive procedures.

“I have nothing against dentists, but let’s face the fact that we have more than twenty teeth, and they can be completely replaced with new ones. And the eyes are just a pair. And there is nothing we can replace this invaluable gift – sight.