The human eyes are a very delicate body part that many of us are fortunate to use every day, yet easily take for granted. Not only do we use our eyes for reading, using the computer, and watching movies and TV, but also for cooking, driving, enjoying summertime's beautiful scenery or Dave Franco's perfection, and of course, observing context clues through body language from others around us; also known as, spying on our cute neighbors. I'm kidding, don't do that. (Not really.)
From living our lives and going through busy schedules, it isn't rare for many to neglect and take our eyesight for granted. There are even a bunch of things we often do that harm our eyesight in the long run without even knowing it!
1. Staring at a bright screen in the dark.
This can be watching TV in the dark or using your computer in the dark with a high contrast on the screen. This does major harm because of the intense light glaring directly at your eyes.
Solution: Even though you want to save on your electricity bill by reducing your light usage as much as possible, don't you think your eyesight is more valuable? (Glasses, contacts and other eye-care needs may add up to cost more, compared to a few extra cents to dollars on an electricity bill.) Make sure to leave some kind of light on near you while watching TV. Even a small lamp will suffice for brightening up the area enough. This will calm down the cellphone, computer or TV screen's intensity in the room and lessen the strain on your eyes. You can even try wearing sunglasses. Hey, it helps.
Also, be sure to lower the brightness! On some reading apps like iBooks or Kindle, there are nighttime features available for you to use that will alter the color of the screen or the background and text. They're less harsh on the eyes and you'll feel it, too.
2. Staring at a screen for too long.
Have you ever gotten an annoying headache in the middle of reading or doing work on your computer? Or that feeling where your eyes seem to be painfully pulsating under its lids? Do you also sometimes feel like rubbing them a lot? It's most likely because you've been looking at your cellphone, computer or TV screen for too long without any breaks.
Solution: If you have no choice and need to spend the prolonged amount of time on your computer, set a timer for a reminder every 20 minutes to take quick breaks away from the screen.
Take this five-minute break to rest your eyes by looking outside or at faraway objects in the room, going for a walk, drinking water or placing some sliced cucumbers over your eyelids. (The ascorbic acid and caffeic acid in cucumbers brings down the water retention in the eyes, helping to reduce the swelling and puffiness around them.) A cool and damp towel over your upper face is also relaxing. The break counts as long as you rest your eyes from looking at any electronic screen.
3. Overuse of contact lenses.
While oxygen is crucial for maintaining healthy eyes, contact lenses sit directly on the eye, and using them decreases the amount of oxygen that reaching the cornea, which is a clear layer over the eye as a protector against dirt, bacteria and other harmful debris. Besides getting most of its oxygen from the air, small blood vessels in the eye offer some as well. If contacts are in use, the body makes up for the absence of oxygen by creating new blood vessels to create more oxygen, leading to a buildup of vessels. This causes redness and irritation in the eye. Even if there might not be any visible problem right now, the lack of oxygen to the eyes can do major damage.
Contact lenses are fine to use, but overusing them may bring a handful of effects such as swollen eyes from the lack of oxygen, red and irritated eyes and possible eye infections.
Solution: Let your eyes breathe before its too late. Even though we all have long days, wearing your contacts from morning to midnight is a no, no. This means our poor eyes haven't been able to breathe the whole day!
Try as much as possible to only use your contacts for, at a maximum of eight hours and if possible, less than that. After, you can switch to glasses or vice versa. Make sure to practice proper hygiene for your contacts, its case and solution, too. A newer and available option is to get soft silicone hydrogel contact lenses, which allow more oxygen to reach the eye.
4. Reading in dim lighting.
All you bookworms out there, I feel you. Sometimes you just can't wait to find out what happens next in the story you're reading, so out of excitement, you immediately start reading by using the tiniest bit of moonlight or streetlight shining through your window. Yes, I know. You're feeling too lazy to get up and turn on the light in the room, but that tiny light is too dim because it isn't concentrated specifically on the material you're reading! If you find yourself struggling even a little to read through squinting, then you need more light.
Solution: Don't sacrifice your eyesight out of laziness! Get a lamp to place next to your bed so you won't read in the dark. Bonus points are given for finding a lamp with an easy access switch so you won't be even more lazy to reach over for it. A smooth switch with a comfortably long cord makes it easy to reach and press, rather than a short, pull-string switch.
Another option available is to get a book light, a convenient little gadget that allows you to clip on a mini light onto your book.
5. Reading while lying down.
Although we like to lie down and relax in bed after a long day with a good book or magazine, reading while lying down can cause long-term harm to the eyes. Because of the unnatural position for our eyes to read looking up or sideways, rather than the regular way while sitting up, the more tired your eyes will be from working harder to read. This leads to eye strain, bringing irritation and soreness and can potentially worsen your eyesight in the long run.
Solution: If you still want to stay in bed, prop up a pillow behind your back for comfortable support. This way, your eyes won't be struggling to read up and you'll still be comfy in bed. An even more comfortable solution is to get a bedrest cushion.
6. Trying to decipher something you can't see clearly.
Squinting at the class board from across the room. Struggling to read a restaurant's menu from far away – or even super close, for those who are farsighted. Trying to see from afar if it could be your old friend or possibly the person you've been trying to avoid. Whichever the case, pushing your eyes to overwork strains them, gradually blurring your vision throughout time. Don't be surprised if you feel like your sight has gotten worse after continuously doing these things.
Solution: Look into getting some glasses or contacts. The cost will be worth saving your vision in the long run. If you already have glasses, don't be lazy to find them around the house or in your purse. It only takes a quick moment! Or you can just go closer to the class board, menu or person for a clearer view. You'll even be able to lessen the growth of wrinkles on your forehead that are gained from all that squinting.
7. U.V. Rays.
Whenever we go out in the day, we're exposed to U.V. rays which come from the sun. Despite the presence of U.V. rays even on cloudy days, extra sunny days leave you more likely to having you squint your eyes in attempt to block the sun out. By doing this, you aren't only giving yourself wrinkles and straining your eyes from the extreme squinting but you're forced to leave a bit of your eyelids to stay open to see, allowing U.V. rays to shine in your eyes.
Solution: Remember to bring and wear sunglasses, a brimmed hat, or both to protect your eyes from getting beamed at by the rays. This becomes very important when driving. Who cares if the only sunglasses you can find are your younger sister's tiny Disney Princess ones. Protect those eyes!
Whether you read loads of Odyssey articles on your phone, edit videos on your computer, binge watch your favorite TV shows, use contacts on the daily, or go outside under the beaming sun, just remember to be cautious, caring and thankful for your eyesight! Now, back to finishing our next episode on Netflix...
