4 Habits That Could Be Hurting Your Eyesight

While age and genetics are major risk factors for many eye conditions, your personal habits may also affect your eye health. Take a good look at the things you do on a daily basis. Chances are, one or two of these habits may be doing more harm than good to your eyes.

Six One Six Vision Center, a top local eye care clinic, talks about four common habits that may be damaging your eyesight.

1. Smoking

Smoking is not only bad for your lungs, but it can also compromise your eyesight. Cigarettes contain toxins that can cause narrowing of your blood vessels, reducing the flow of blood to your eyes. While quitting smoking is not easy, doing so can significantly benefit your eyes and overall health.

2. Not Getting Enough Sleep

Getting enough hours of quality sleep is important for your eyes and the rest of your body. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll end up having red, tired and puffy eyes in the morning. You’re also at risk of drying your eyes out. Using digital devices might be negatively impacting your sleep, which is why your optometrist suggests putting away your phones, tablets or laptops at least an hour before bedtime.

3. Forgetting to Wear Protective Eyewear

UV rays from the sun can cause eye problems as well as sunburn. This is why it’s important that you wear sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection whenever you go outside. You should also wear protective eyewear, like impact-resistant goggles, when cleaning with chemicals, working with power tools or performing other tasks that are hazardous to your eyes.

4. Not Visiting Your Eye Care Specialist

Visiting your eye doctor on a regular basis is one of the most effective ways to keep your eyes in good health. Doing so allows us to monitor your eyes and maintain your visual health. We also have the knowledge, skills, experience and instruments to identify and properly manage different eye conditions.

To learn more habits that may be bad for your eyes, call us at (208) 514-1858. We serve Boise and Eagle, ID, and nearby communities.

Dr. Ryan Huber