It’s easy to take your vision for granted — especially if you’ve been genetically blessed with 20/20 vision. However, there may be certain daily habits that are causing more harm to your vision than you realize. Whether you spend most of your time looking at your cellphone or laptop or you wear your contacts all day long, you may not know how much these things are taking a toll on your eye health and vision. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, in the next 30 years at least 150 percent more people will develop vision issues. It’s never too early to care for your vision, since it will improve your chances of limiting vision problems later on in life.
Below are some of the most common things you may be doing that hurt your vision, along with preventative measures you can take. Please note, if you’re experiencing worrisome changes to vision or eye health, it’s important to schedule an appointment with your eye care provider, who can handle the proper exams required.
Using expired makeup
It’s easy to forget that your favorite makeup products have a life span, especially when you use them every day. However, using expired mascara and eyeliners can put your eyes at risk of infection. A good rule of thumb when determining when it’s time to ditch the product is to look for the Period After Opening, or PAO. This stamp will tell you how long you’ve got after opening the product before it needs to be replaced. For example, usually mascara can last about three months. It’s also important to properly store your cosmetics. Improper storage can affect the longevity of a product and can lead to the growth of bacteria or mold, putting you at risk of an infection.
Reusing contact lenses
If you think you’re saving money by recycling your contacts, it may end up costing you more in the long run. As someone who used to do this and as a result ended up with multiple eye infections, I can attest that it’s a habit worth breaking. When I switched to using daily contacts and interchangeably using glasses, I drastically reduced my chances of developing an eye infection and kept my eyes healthier. Changing to dailies is worth considering: One study found that people who wear reusable contact lenses are about four times more at risk of developing Acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare eye infection that can increase your risk of vision loss or blindness, compared with folks who use daily contacts.
Other habits you should break with your contact lenses include sleeping, showering or swimming with them on. Dr. Mackenzie Sward, a board-certified ophthalmologist, warns, “Sleeping in your contact lenses and failing to properly clean your lenses can significantly increase the risk of a corneal ulcer caused by a bacterial, fungal or parasitic infection.” As if that wasn’t concerning enough, vision loss from contact lens-related complications may be severe and permanent.
