Did you know your eyes are the second most complex organ after the brain, with over 2 million working parts? About 80% of your learning occurs visually. Undoubtedly your pair of eyes is one of life’s greatest blessings, but we often overlook eye health until problems arise.
Aging is one of the key factors in visual decline, infections, injuries, and other eye-related problems, however, some daily habits can unknowingly affect your eye’s health and vision. So, what should you do to protect your eyes? While regular eye checkups are beneficial, keeping your eyes healthy requires more than just annual visits to the doctor.
Here are 16 things you should never do to your eyes if you care about keeping your vision intact for the long haul.
1. Going Outdside Without Sunglasses
Too much UV radiation from the sun can harm your eyes. It can damage the surface, cornea, and lens. Over time, this can lead to cataracts or eye cancer.
Wearing sunglasses with 100% UV or UV400 protection is a simple way to keep your eyes safe when you are outside. You should wear them outdoors during the daytime no matter the season to ensure full protection.
2. Sleeping With Makeup On
Sleeping with eyeliner or mascara can let makeup flake your eye and irritate the cornea. Doing so can also bring harmful bacteria that may cause an eye infection. Even worse, glitter or shimmery eyeshadow can scratch the cornea as well.
Plus, these products can block the small hair follicles and oil glands on your eyelids, which may lead to styes (bumps on the upper or lower eyelid) or other issues. So it’s probably best to remove all makeup with an eye-friendly makeup remover before bed.
3. Sleeping Without Removing Contact lenses
You should never leave your contacts in before going to sleep. Doing so raises your risk of infection and could cause lasting damage. The CDC reports that nearly one million Americans visit the eye doctor yearly for contact lens-related infections, and half of all contact wearers report occasional overnight usage .
Knowing these startling statistics, be sure to make it a nightly habit to remove your contacts before bed and give your eyes a chance to rest. Also, when you remove them, use clean hands and store them in fresh contact solution.
4. Rubbing Your Eyes
The skin around your eyes is delicate. Rubbing your eyes can break tiny blood vessels under the skin, leading to dark circles or puffiness. Regular rubbing has also been linked to keratoconus, a condition where the cornea thins out and loses shape. This can cause blurry vision that glasses or contacts may not fully correct.
Instead of rubbing your eyes, try to figure out the root cause of the itchiness. If allergies or dry eye are the cause, your doctor can prescribe medication or eyedrops to alleviate symptoms.
5. Tattooing Your Eyeball
Tattooing your eyeballs is extremely dangerous. The eye is delicate, and any foreign substance can cause serious harm. Eyeball tattoos can lead to infections, inflammation, vision loss, blindness, and even complete eye loss. The ink can also spread to other parts of your eye, causing further damage.
Consult your ophthalmologist if you plan on getting an eyeball tattoo. They can prescribe you colored contact lenses, which are a safer, less permanent (and scary-looking) way to change the appearance of your eye.
6. Staring at the Sun
Looking directly at the sun without eye protection can burn your retina. Usually, when you do this, its brightness causes irritation, which causes you to look away after a brief period of time.
This is not the case during events like an eclipse because the sun’s brightness is reduced, making it easier to look at it directly. If you plan to watch the next eclipse, use special solar-filtered lenses designed for eclipse viewing. Regular sunglasses protect against UV light but are unsafe for looking at the sun directly.
7. Straining Your Eyes
If you need prescription glasses but don’t routinely wear them or update your prescription, take this as your warning. Your eyesight changes over time, so it’s normal to need an updated prescription to avoid strain if you feel like you’ve been squinting more even while you’re wearing your glasses lately. Wearing the right glasses or contacts helps your eyes function better and can reduce headaches or dizziness caused by eye strain.
8. Overusing Eye Drops
While your doctor may prescribe you eye drops for various reasons, long-term or excessive use is not recommended. Eye drops reduce redness or itchiness in your eyes by shrinking blood vessels to make the eyes less inflamed, but there’s a downside. Prolonged use can make redness worse due to a rebound effect.
Overusing eye drops also harms the oily layer of your eye’s tear film, which makes tears evaporate faster and ultimately contributes to more dryness. If you encounter persistent eye-related issues, talk to your doctor for a proper diagnosis and a more sustainable long-term solution.
9. Applying Eyeliner to Your Waterline
Applying eyeliner inside your lower lash line is dangerous because it can mix with your tears, flake residue onto your contact lenses, and transfer bacteria into your eyes. Plus, there are important oily glands inside the lash line that can get clogged up, leading to infection. To stay safe, apply eyeliner only outside the lash line on the eyelid.
10. Skipping Routine Eye Tests
Many eye diseases start without noticeable symptoms, so scheduling a regular dilated eye exam is vital. An ophthalmologist can detect diseases early by examining your eye and guiding you toward appropriate treatment right away.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, you should get a baseline eye exam by the time you hit your 40s. You’ll need to pay more attention to your eye health as you age, and once you reach 65 you should be scheduling regular exams.
11. Not Wearing Eye Protection When Needed
Eye protection is needed for different types of activities. Certain sports, for example, can lead to serious eye injuries if you don’t wear the right safety gear. Common injuries like retinal detachments, internal bleeding, and even ruptured eyes are easily preventable with proper eyewear.
Along the same lines, wearing protection is essential if you work in construction, handle chemicals, or undertake DIY projects at home that put you at risk of eye damage.
12. Ignoring Eye Problems
You should never ignore pain in your eyes or any other eye problem, even if it is seemingly insignificant. The eyes are sensitive, so seeing an eye specialist is important if you experience any type of pain or abnormality. Many people overlook small eye issues, but they might signal serious conditions. Better to be safe than sorry.
13. Touching Your Eyes With Dirty Hands
Washing your hands before touching your eyes for any reason lowers the risk of bacteria and viruses getting into your eyes. Common eye problems, like pink eye (conjunctivitis) and corneal ulcers, can come from bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. If you plan to remove contact lenses, wash your hands and dry them completely with a lint-free cloth or paper towel.
14. Wearing Contact Lenses Without Cleaning Them
If you wear contact lenses, keeping them clean is a must. Eye specialists often see patients with infections caused by improperly cleaned or stored lenses whether they’ve kept the same pair for too long, or not changed their cleaning solution, or any other mishandling that eventually causes irritation to your eyes. To prevent eye infections, follow your eye doctor’s instructions for cleaning, storing, and handling your contact lenses.
15. Swimming With Contact Lenses
Swimming with contact lenses can lead to serious problems for your eyes. Water can trap bacteria and contaminants on your lenses, raising the risk of eye infections. Removing your contacts before any aquatic activities is best to reduce the risk of eye issues. If you need vision correction during swimming, it’s best to get prescription swimming goggles.
16. Following Dangerous Home Remedies
The internet offers an endless sea of information, but you should avoid unproven and potentially harmful remedies for eye problems. Treatments like breast milk for pink eyes or frozen meat for black eyes may introduce bacteria into your eyes and lead to infections. Always be cautious and consult your ophthalmologist before attempting any home remedies.
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Aqsa is a passionate writer who loves spending her free time jotting down her thoughts. But that’s not all. She is a devoted mom to two boys and a skilled pharmacist specializing in hematology. When she’s not running after her energetic kids, you can find her lost in a good book or writing beautiful words. A nature lover at heart, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, staying active, and always seeking ways to learn new things.
Aqsa is a passionate writer who loves spending her free time jotting down her thoughts. But that's not all. She is a devoted mom to two boys and a skilled pharmacist specializing in hematology. When she's not running after her energetic kids, you can find her lost in a good book or writing beautiful words. A nature lover at heart, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, staying active, and always seeking ways to learn new things.
