Our daily habits have the potential of impacting our vision health and it's easy to overlook these seemingly innocuous things and not realize the potential harm they can impose on our eyes.
For contact lens wearers, the risk of developing a vision-robbing infection is high amongst those who wear reusable lenses as opposed to disposable daily lenses. People who wear reusable lenses are almost four times more likely to contract Acanthamoeba keratits, which is a rare eye infection but can cause total blindness, as compared to disposable lens wearers. Sleeping in your contact lenses or failing to properly clean them can increase your risk of corneal ulcer.
Going without sunglasses when outside, sunshine or not, exposes your eyes to harmful UVA and UVB rays. Exposure to these rays increases your risk of developing cataracts, and macular degeneration. It's important to look for sunglasses that offer 100% UV protection.
Along the same vein as sunglasses, wearing protective eyewear when participating in activities such as lawn mowing, weed eating, carpentry work and various sports like racquetball is crucial to prevent potentially serious eye injuries.
Perhaps the easiest habit to overlook is using expired makeup. Using expired mascara or eyeliner increases your risk of infection. This can be easily avoided by noting the Period After Opening (PAO) stamp that is included on such products. This lets you know how long the product is good for upon opening. Storing your makeup properly affects the longevity of the product and improper storage can be conducive to bacteria growth.
So keep an "eye" on your habits and help preserve your vision in the long run.
