Mistakes You've Probably Made With Your Eyes

Your eyes are pretty important in your everyday life. You rely on them from the moment you wake up until you lay your head back down on your pillow. But, do you really give them the care they deserve? Here are four common eye mistakes that may cost you in the long run:

Mistake #1: Staring at Screens All Day, Everyday 

Welcome to the 21st century - where everyone stares at a computer all day for work or school, and then cozies up to their TV and cell phone to relax after. Some doctors believe that the blue light that our electronic devices emit is as dangerous as staring into the sun! The thing is, nobody really knows the long term effects. It's the first time in humanity that children are starting to grow into adults while being exposed to blue light from a young age. While only time will tell for the serious effects, we do know about some very real effects of blue light exposure.

Blue light can cause eye strain, headaches, sleep disruption, and more. But there are some safeguards you can take to protect yourself against extended exposure. For example, you can wear blue light filtering lenses like the ones we offer here at Fuse Lenses. 

If you’re not quite willing to wear glasses all day long, there are some steps you can take to reduce your exposure. The biggest tip is simply taking a break from your screens. If you shut off your screens a few hours before bed, walk away more often during the day, or even consciously blink more often - you are making small positive changes. Your eyes will thank you.

Mistake #2: Being Your Own Eye Doctor 

Most people are guilty of committing a major eye faux-pas - avoiding our annual eye exams. I've heard (and used) all the excuses before, "I know I have 20/20." or "my prescription is still the same." I get it. Getting air blown in your eyes and being asked a million questions on what you can or can’t read isn’t always fun. 

However, what you may not know is that an eye appointment is less about your vision and more about your eye health. There are no pain receptors behind your eyes; without regular check-ups, you could have a tumor growing and not know anything about it until it gets bad enough to interfere with your vision! Scary, right? 

(But, if you do go to your eye exam and find you need a new script, we do carry prescription lenses at Fuse-Rx.com. Just figured I’d throw that out there.)

Mistake #3: Rubbing and Touching Your Eyes 

We are all guilty of it. It’s unavoidable sometimes. You get an itch or something in your eye and you just have to get it. However, rubbing your eyes too hard or too much can lead to inflammation and broken blood vessels in the eyes. It can also transfer any bacteria you may have on your hands (from the doorknob, handrails, handshakes, etc) directly into the moist membrane that protects your eyes. Meaning, you can catch someone's illness by just touching your eyes. If you must rub, make sure to always keep the lid closed and touch only on the outside of your eye with clean hands. Good luck out there. 

Mistake #4: Not Wearing Sunglasses Year-Round 

Wearing sunglasses can help prevent some pretty nasty stuff. Extended UV light exposure can lead to cataracts, retina damage, cancer, eye-sunburns (they exist), and more. But, they can all be prevented by limiting the amount of UV light that makes it into your eyes - a.k.a wearing sunglasses.

Even if people do wear sunglasses, it seems that numbers spike in summer, but by winter everybody packs them up. However, UV rays are definitely dangerous no matter the temperature. If it’s the hazy weather that’s causing you to toss your sunglasses aside, consider switching your lenses with a new tint, like our yellow polarized, that are designed to brighten your field of vision instead of darkening it.

Plus, it might even be more important to wear sunglasses in the winter. Snow can reflect the sun's rays all around. So, whether it’s 90 degrees or 9 degrees, whether you are outside for 10 minutes or 10 hours - just wear your sunglasses.

Conclusion

We need our eyes. We rely on them to see the world around us. Why not take a little better care of them? By making a few small changes you can better pay attention to your eye’s needs: take breaks from your electronic devices, go to the eye doctor, avoid touching your eyes, and put on some sunglasses. You’ll be well on your way to healthy, happy eyes.