10 Bad Habits that Cause Vision Problems

Poor eyesight can be caused by many factors including genetics, age, and environment. In today’s digital world, however, most vision problems are often the result of poor eye care and bad habits.

If you want to maintain your healthy vision for years to come, it’s time to break these unhealthy habits:

Screen Time

1. Too much screen time

Spending too much time in front of your laptop or smartphone greatly reduces the number of times you blink, which is essential for eye cleaning and lubrication. Blinking also stimulates the retina and gives your brain a rest. Prolonged exposure to screen-based devices also causes digital eye strain with symptoms including headache, burning eyes, blurred vision, and disrupted sleep. Severe eye strain can lead to permanent vision problems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working at Night

2. Not getting enough sleep

Lack of sleep can lead to eye strain and eye fatigue. Sufficient sleep of 6-8 hours daily helps your eyes recover from a long day of use and provides continuous eye lubrication, which clears out accumulated irritants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wearing Contact Lense

3. Prolonged wearing of contact lenses

The eyes’ oxygen supply is limited when wearing contact lenses. The longer you have them on, the riskier the game. Without oxygen, the cornea swells up and expose a small gap where bacteria can enter, increasing your risk for keratitis and other eye infections. Long-term use of contact lenses can also lead to alterations in the cornea and corneal scarring, which affect vision.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Man Rubbing his Eyes

4. Rubbing your eyes often

The seemingly harmless habit of rubbing your eyes can have serious consequences. Aside from the risk of allergic conjunctivitis and eye infections, it can also lead to keratoconus, the thinning and reshaping of the cornea from round to cone, which causes a progressive loss of vision. It can also worsen pre-existing eye conditions such as myopia and glaucoma.

 

 

 

 

 

Woman Staring at Her Food

5. Not eating enough food for the eyes

Dark leafy greens contain nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin, which reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. Yellow and orange-colored fruits and vegetables are also high in beta carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E, which are all essential for healthy eyesight. Other food for the eyes include egg, nuts, fatty fish, and other seafood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woman Drinking Some Soda

6. Not drinking enough water

Dehydration hampers your eyes from producing enough tears, which are essential for nourishment and moisture. Dehydration also causes your eyes to become dry, red, and puffy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Guy Not Wearing Sunglasses

7. Not wearing sunglasses

Overexposure to the harmful rays of the sun can lead to photokeratitis (sunburn of the front surface of the eye), macular degeneration, cataract, unsightly growths on your eye’s conjunctiva, and cancer of the eyelid. Wear sunglasses with complete UVA/UVB protection even on cloudy days.

 

 

 

 

 

A Woman Reading in the Dark

8. Not using proper lighting

Working in dim light makes it difficult for your eyes to focus and leads to eye fatigue while excessively bright light can cause glare. Make sure your home lighting plan addresses every purpose of your rooms. If you have a home office, for instance, you may need a lamp on the worktable to reduce eyestrain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Man Smoking

9. Smoking

Smoking is linked to dry eyes and various sight-threatening eye diseases, including macular degeneration, cataract, uveitis, and diabetic retinopathy. Smokers are also four times more likely to go blind compared to non-smokers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eye Examination

10. Not getting regular eye exams

Regular eye exams can detect vision problems and other eye diseases. They can also determine whether you are at high risk for a particular eye disease. Some eyesight problems, like glaucoma, have no warning signs until there is an irreversible loss of vision. If you have not gotten your vision checked yet, start scheduling your regular eye exams today.

 

 

 

 

Shinagawa Lasik & Center offers comprehensive eye examination. For details and appointment request, visit Shinagawa.PH.

Shrinkage

Non-invasive Ways to Reduce Wrinkles

Wrinkles are part of the natural aging process but they don’t have to be noticeably etched on your face, especially if you’re not ready to look “old” just yet. With proper skin care and healthy lifestyle habits (plus a little help from science), you can reduce their appearance and look younger by many years.

Here are simple ways to reduce wrinkles:

  1. Wear a sunscreen every day

Sun exposure is the major cause of wrinkles and premature skin aging. While spending time outdoors is inevitable, you can protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays by using sunscreen with at least 30 SPF. Make it a daily habit even in winter and cloudy days. Do not also forget to apply sunscreen or eye cream with SPF on the skin around your eyes as it tends to wrinkle first before the rest of your face.

  1. Moisturize your face regularly

Whether its a moisturizing serum or a botanical oil, a moisturizer can go a long way in providing your skin its much needed moisture to stay smooth and supple. Aside from softening lines and creases, it also gives nourishment to skin cells.

  1. Use retinoids at least twice a week

Retinoids are synthetic vitamin A derivatives that are used to treat skin problems. Tretinoin (Retin A), the only topical anti-wrinkle treatment approved by the FDA, minimizes wrinkles by increasing collagen production and repairing sun damage.

  1. Get regular facials

Getting facials at least once a month provides intense cleansing to your face, wiping off blemishes and destroying bacteria. The gentle massage also stimulates blood flow, which boosts the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the skin. For a more effective anti-wrinkle facial, gently rub moisturizing oils or aloe vera gel onto the skin, especially on wrinkle-prone areas.

  1. Try laser resurfacing treatments

Laser resurfacing treatment (also called laser derma) uses laser or a pulsed diode light to reduce wrinkles and other skin blemishes by removing the top layer of skin. The process stimulates collagen-production, which results in smoother and tighter skin.

One of the most popular laser resurfacing treatments is ShrinkAge, which mainly reduces wrinkles by tightening the skin. Unlike other laser resurfacing procedures that have downtime, there are no restrictions after undergoing ShrinkAge. Washing face and putting on makeup are allowed.

Shinagawa Aesthetics Center offers ShrinkAge. For more information or appointment schedule, visit Shinagawa PH.