Never Do These Things to Your Eyes
By Sara Butler
Taking care of your eyes is just as important as any other aspect of your health. Yet, many people are guilty of a few things that can be very damaging to their eyes over time. Here are just a few of the things you need to do to keep those peepers in top shape!
Sleeping in Contacts
You should never, ever sleep in your contact lenses. Your cornea is very sensitive and needs oxygen. Wearing contacts for too long can rob your corneas of important exposure to oxygen and create some serious problems. You may get an infection, a corneal ulcer, or a longer-term problem in which blood vessels grow into your cornea (which is a bad thing). Make sure to take those contacts out no matter what – even if you’re just taking a nap.
Skipping Regular Exams
Just as you see your doctor or chiropractor for checkups regularly, you should be seeing your eye doctor for checkups at least once a year, too. Eye doctors can spot problems with your eyes and other health problems such as a brain tumor or blood vessel issues.
Wearing Makeup to Bed
Wearing makeup to bed is bad for your skin and for your eyes! It can cause the sensitive glands around the eyes to become clogged, which can result in an infection or irritation. Make sure if you wear makeup that you remove it as part of your bedtime routine.
Too Many Drops
If you use eye drops to help control redness, don’t overdo it. These eye drops work by temporarily shrinking blood vessels in your eyes. But they have a rebound effect not many people are familiar with, which means they will make the redness you’re trying to eliminate worse in the long run. If red-eye is an issue you find yourself dealing with often, and then make sure to see the eye doctor for a more sustainable form of treatment.
Not Wearing Sunglasses
Sunglasses should be worn all year long, not just in the summer. The sun can do damage to your eyes any time of the year. Wearing sunglasses helps to prevent corneal burns, cataracts, skin cancer, and macular degeneration. Make sure to find shades that block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays.
Remember to take care of those peepers -- they're the only ones you'll ever have!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Aurora, Colo.