Eye health is an easy area to overlook for many people ― that is, until a problem arises.
Visual decline, infection, injury and other ocular issues are fairly common, especially as we age. And although there are many treatments and even surgeries to fix our eye health woes, it would be nice to avoid reaching this point.
The good news is there are many ways to help prevent infection and damage to keep our eyes healthy as we age.
HuffPost asked eye doctors to share the things they never do in the interest of their ocular health. Read on for the behaviours they avoid.
They don’t sleep in contact lenses.
“I never sleep in my contact lenses unless the contact lenses have FDA approval for extended wear because of the risk of painful eye infections and cornea damage,” said Dr. William McLaughlin, an optometrist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Occasionally, people who wear contacts might get exhausted or have a few too many drinks and pass out before they’ve had a chance to remove their lenses, or they might need to take a midday nap or find themselves dozing on a plane. But it’s really important to try to remember to take out your contacts in these situations.
“Sleeping in contacts allows for microbes and bacteria from the contact lens to multiply overnight,” said Dr. Ella Faktorovich, an eye doctor and founder of Pacific Vision Institute. “This can lead to further complications, such as a corneal ulcer, which can be vision-threatening and lead to the need for a corneal transplant.”
They don’t stare closely at a screen for too long without breaks.
“When people look at a phone, laptop, or book too closely for an extended period, it can increase the risk of myopia in young people and cause eyestrain for people of all ages,” Faktorovich said. “Myopia typically develops in childhood and then deteriorates until the late teenage years.”
She recommended following the “20-20-20 Rule” for preventing and relieving digital eye strain. The method involves taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away. Easing your eye strain can improve your overall eye health as you age.
“As people age, they will experience presbyopia, leading to the potential need for procedures like Monovision LASIK or PRK, where one eye is corrected for distance vision while the other is left mildly nearsighted or uncorrected,” Faktorovich added. “Other procedures to help presbyopia may be lens replacement surgery.”
They don’t put off eye exams.
“I never forget to have my eyes examined at least every year to year and a half,” McLaughlin said.
It’s particularly important to keep up with your regular appointments, including dilated eye exams, if you have a condition that puts your eye health at risk.
“Those diagnosed with diabetes are at increased risk of developing retinopathy,” noted Dr. Barbara Mihalik, an optometrist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “This starts as bleeding within the retina and can progress to swelling within the retina, cataracts, glaucoma, and development of new leaky blood vessels that can cause sudden loss of vision and lead to retinal detachment which can cause permanent vision loss. Often those affected do not have any visual problems so it’s important to get dilated at least once a year to monitor for this since there are treatments to prevent this vision loss.”
They don’t ignore a sudden vision change.
“I would never ignore a sudden onset of a shower of floaters ― spots in the vision ― and flashing lights, especially if accompanied by a curtain crossing the vision,” Mihalik said. “All of these can be a warning sign of a retinal tear, break or hole that can lead to a retinal detachment.”
If caught early, this problem can be treated before the retina detaches, she added.
“If the retina does detach, it then requires surgical treatment and the level of vision that can be restored depends on how much and for how long the retina was detached,” Mihalik explained. “If you ever do develop new onset floaters and flashing lights, call your eye care provider right away.”
They don’t leave makeup on overnight.
“Under-lubricating the eyes is an often overlooked part of symptomatic eye issues, especially in people who use contact lenses or makeup,” said Dr. Avnish Deobhakta, an ophthalmologist at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. “A major change that occurs as we age is that we do not make adequate quality tears ― this is particularly problematic for people who use contact lenses, which are placed directly on the surface of cornea, or certain forms of makeup on the eyelids, which often disrupt tear production.”
He noted that the cornea requires constant lubrication to function effectively, and both the aging process and use of contact lenses and makeup can reduce the body’s natural lubrication ability. In addition to avoiding sleeping in contacts, he urged makeup-wearers to thoroughly wash it off before going to bed. Failing to remove your makeup can lead to eye infections and adversely impact your eye lubrication.
“One way to help deal with [under-lubrication] is to use preservative free artificial tears as a matter of routine,” Avnish added. “These artificial tears are made with substances that help lubricate the surface of the eye. However, importantly, they do not have preservatives, which can sometimes cause side effects. We often advocate using them three to four times a day.”
They don’t stare at the sun.
“People should never look directly at the sun,” Faktorovich said. “Earlier this year, we witnessed a solar eclipse where many people were tempted to look at the sun through regular sunglasses or homemade sunglasses, which can be extremely detrimental to the eye. Staring directly at the sun without the right eye protection for even a short time can permanently damage your retina, the layer of tissue in the back of your eye that converts light to electrical signals for the brain.”
In the event of a solar eclipse, she recommended using the proper protection to avoid retinal burn and other serious eye damage.
They don’t smoke or vape.
“Smoking and vaping are some of the worst activities that one can do for both one’s general health, especially for the eyes,” Deobhakta said. “There are very severe diseases that destroy the parts of the eye that are irreplaceable, such as the retina, which occur much more often in people who smoke.”
He noted that smoking is also associated with increased rates of cataract formation, which leads to a clouding of the lens and often requires surgery to remove.
“In addition, the fumes themselves can cause damage to the surface of the eye, causing corneal abrasions and extremely painful dry eye, often requiring lifelong treatment to address,” Deobhakta said. “In other words, avoid smoking and vaping if you want a lifetime of healthy eyes.”
They don’t rinse contact lenses in tap water.
Mihalik noted that she would never use tap water to rinse contact lenses.
“There is a high risk of developing microbial keratitis, otherwise known as a corneal ulcer, that can lead to permanent blindness and in some cases corneal transplant,” she noted. “Instead, always rinse and store in contact lens solution, replace your case regularly, and replace lenses as directed by your eye care provider.”
In addition to storing and lubricating your contact lenses improperly, using the same pair for longer than recommended can lead to eye health issues.
“I never forget to discard my contact lenses in the prescribed time period,” McLaughlin said.
They don’t eat an unbalanced diet.
“Eating a diet high in sugar and fat may go without saying as being bad for one’s health, but it also has a disproportionately negative effect on the eyes,” Deobhakta said. “Certain diseases like diabetes are responsible for the most common forms of irreversible blindness that we see in our clinics, and that is often linked to eating an unbalanced diet high in carbohydrates and fat.”
He noted that the risk of experiencing a stroke in the eye is higher for those with uncontrolled high blood pressure.
“Some good news however ― eating a balanced diet (with exercise) not only helps other parts of the body, but drastically reduces the chances of these kinds of diseases occurring,” Deobhakta said. “So our advice is to eat a Mediterranean Diet, low in sugar and fat, and do something physical you enjoy, like running or biking or taking a walk.”