Have you ever wondered what daily activities can impair your vision? The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has selected the 20 most harmful actions for our eye health. We present them in the next section.
Smoking
The list of tobacco-related eye diseases is long. Some of them are cataract, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or glaucoma. For this reason, quitting smoking can protect among other things your eye health.
Do not get vaccinated
The AAO recommends keeping the vaccination schedule up to date, including the herpes zoster vaccine for adults and the measles vaccine for children. This is because these two diseases can cause eye problems.
Make home remedies
Often we find on the Internet or social networks home remedies to cure pathologies. It is very important not to trust them, as they could make the disease worse, carrying bacteria and causing infections. For this reason, if you want to use home remedies it is important to ask an ophthalmologist about their effectiveness.
Do not wear sunglasses
The UV rays from the sun can damage your vision, affecting the cornea and lens. These, in abundant exposure, can also cause cataracts or eye cancer. Glasses that protect 100% from the UV rays are the best way to protect your eyes from this light.
Tattoo your eye
Tattooing the eye can cause infections due to the needle or ink of the tattoo, as well as retinal detachment or blindness. If you want to change the color of your eyes the best option is to contact your ophthalmologist to get a prescription for colored contact lenses.
Confuse eye drops with liquid glue or other substances
Although it may not seem like it, it is very common for patients to confuse medications, even using “SuperGlue” instead of eye drops. This mistake can cause serious injuries and abrasions to the cornea. For this reason it is recommended to keep the medications separated from other substances.
Not eating properly
A poor diet can lead to blindness. On the other hand, a diet low in vitamins can damage the optic nerve. To avoid this damage, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and nutrient-rich foods is recommended.
Stare at the sun
If you are one of those people who likes to observe eclipses, you should know that staring at the sun without the use of protective filters can burn your retina. On the other hand, sunglasses protect from UVA rays but are not suitable for staring directly at sunlight.
Practicing sport without adequate protection
Playing sports without proper eye protection can lead to various injuries. These include retinal detachment, eye bleeding or eye rupture.
Not knowing your health status
Although it may seem that blood pressure or other health conditions have nothing to do with the eyes, nothing is further from the truth. If systemic diseases are not well treated, such as diabetes, they can affect the eyes, causing blindness.
Work without eye protection
If you are in the construction, chemical or other manual work sector, it is recommended that you wear eye protection. Otherwise, you could suffer eye injuries.
Delaying treatment of an eye injury
Many times, a blow or injury to the eye may seem minor. However, not treating it properly could lead to a loss of vision.
Swimming with contact lenses
It is important not to mix contact lenses and pool water, as this can lead to infections caused by bacteria. In these cases it is better to use swimming goggles.
Not taking the medication as instructed
Some serious conditions require specific treatment, such as the use of eye drops for glaucoma. Patients sometimes forget to put them on or put them on correctly, which can affect the effectiveness of the treatment. It is very important to read the treatment instructions and ask your doctor if you have any questions.
Do not clean contact lenses
Another common reason for infection is not having clean contact lenses. It is important for the insertion of the lenses to wash your hands, store the lenses correctly and use disinfection products.
Wearing contact lenses too long
In general, contact lenses are for daily use, wearing them from the beginning of the day until you go to sleep. Wearing your lenses longer than recommended can threaten your vision.
Buying contact lenses without a prescription
Many colored lenses used as a costume are lenses that were not prescribed by a doctor. These lenses can be dangerous to your eye health and can damage your vision, even leading to blindness. Before using contact lenses you should consult your ophthalmologist.
Going to sleep with makeup
If makeup is not removed properly it can cause scratches in the skin and cause infections. Some tips for proper makeup removal are the use of cotton and water, as well as special makeup soaps.
Using non-approved make-up products
Non-approved make-up products can be harmful to health and cause infections and adverse reactions. For this reason it is advisable to apply makeup with products approved by the administration and even prescribed by an ophthalmologist.
No ophthalmological check-ups
Many eye diseases are asymptomatic in their early stages. This is why it is so important to have regular check-ups. The ophthalmologist has the ability to detect them early and treat them as soon as possible.
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