SOME people have developed unhealthy habits, which started when they’re young that have become part of their daily lives; and these people failed to realize the slow, yet detrimental effects on their vision.
A lot of us take eye health for granted. Most of us pay little interest and effort in taking care of our eyes and vision. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2002 survey, there are 285 million cases of visual impairment worldwide. As early as now, we should do something to preserve our eyesight.” Eighty percent of all visual impairment can be prevented or cured,” the WHO said.
Here are the common unhealthy habits that are detrimental to eye health.
Do you love to read bedtime stories before going into deep sleep? Come to think of it again. Some people developed a habit of reading anything before going to bed in order to fall asleep easily while others are just nocturnal creatures who find solace in reading in the silence of the evening. Whatever your reason is, reading at night is detrimental to your vision especially when your reading material is not properly lighted. In an article written by Molly Edmonds in the health section of howstuffworks.com, he explains how dim light affects vision. When you read, your eye must be able to focus an image of the words onto your retina. To do this, the iris, as well as the muscles that control the shape of your lens, must contract to keep the focused image on the retina. If you read in low light, your visual muscles get mixed signals: Relax to collect the most light, but at the same time, contract to maintain the focused image. When that object is poorly lit, focusing becomes even more difficult because the contrast between the words and the page isn’t as great, which decreases the eye’s ability to distinguish visual detail. That ability is called visual acuity. Your eyes have to work harder to separate the words from the page, which strains your eye muscles.
In this age of technological breakthroughs, almost everyone owns a digital device. Computers are normal stuff at home and people have developed a certain dependence on mobile phones. However, too much exposure from using these devices can damage our vision.
According to Dr. Matthew Alpert, OD, “Continual extended screen time can impact your eyes in two major ways. The first and most common side effect is digital eyestrain. When we look on a screen, our blink rate drops significantly and our eyes won’t put up with that for too long without fuss. If you’ve ever experienced slightly blurry vision after staring at the computer all day, that’s a sign of digital eye strain. Maybe your eyes feel dry, runny or tired after scrolling through your Facebook feed, or maybe you get a headache after a few hours on the computer. These symptoms are often so common that we don’t even recognize them as real issues. While digital eye strain is temporary, if left unaddressed, it can turn into a chronic problem.”
Forget about your tanning plans for a while. Too much exposure to sunlight can damage your eyes. The ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun’s rays can enter the transparent lens and cornea of the human eye. UVB is one of the main causes of cataract. Cataract, according to WHO 2002 survey, is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Dr. Keiki Mehta, an opthalmic surgeon, wrote in her 2009 Times of India article that, “If you are exposed, unprotected, too excessive amounts of UV radiation over a short period of time, you are likely to experience an effect called photokeratitis. Like “sunburn of the eye” it may be painful and symptoms including red eyes, a foreign body sensation in the eyes, extreme sensitivity to light and excessive tearing may be noticed. Fortunately, this is usually temporary and rarely causes permanent damage to the eyes.” So if you have plans of going outside or playing beach volleyball under the scorching heat of the sun, better wear protective sunglasses.
Smoking doesn’t just damage your lungs; it can also damage your vision. “Thousands of chemicals get into your bloodstream when you inhale cigarette smoke and can travel throughout your body. These chemicals cause damage to the macula. Tiny blood vessels can burst through the macula, leading to irreversible damage, or alternatively, the cells of the macula slowly die. Both ultimately lead to loss of vision,” Mehta said. Different studies revealed correlation of smoking to different eye diseases like mucular degeneration and cataract.
Every once in a while, we have this habit of rubbing our eyes especially when it is itchy or irritated. We also do this when we are trying to clear out vision to have a better grasp of something. However, doing this frequently can further iritate our eyes. According to Prof. Charles MeMoness, an optometrist who specializes in research about eye rubbing, “There is no reason to recommend rubbing at all. . ..Rubbing should be avoided at all times.” Rubbing especially when applied with high pressure can harm the cornea—transparent front part of the eye. This dome shape window covers the iris, pupil, and the anterior chamber. MeMoness suggested that instead or rubbing through hands, you can opt to use a gentle, clean and wet facecloth to alleviate itchiness or eye irritation.
Karl Angelo Dabu