We rely on our eyes all the time—from the moment we wake up in the morning to the time we fall asleep at night. Which is why it is so important that we have the correct eye care routine. It is easy to make mistakes when it comes to eye care, so we’ve listed a few ways to make sure that you are taking proper care of your peepers.
Eye Care Mistakes
- Sleeping with contact lenses in your eyes. Although there are some FDA-approved contacts that you can wear while you sleep, these may not be the best thing for your eye health, as the risk of developing a corneal ulcer is 10 to 15 times greater in those who sleep in extended-wear contact lenses. If you don’t have extended-wear contact lenses, don’t even think about sleeping in them, as you may dry out your eyes and not be able to remove your lenses.
- Staring at screens. Although the majority of our time now is consumed by looking at a screen—whether it is for work or for play—we need to remember to take breaks from the screen. The blue light that emanates from screens can cause eye strain, and it may also dry out your eyes. Remember to follow the 20-20-20 eye care rule—for every 20 minutes you spend looking at a screen, stare at something that is 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
- Applying makeup to your water line. Although it may be trendy and fashionable, eyeliner applied to your water line will actually get into your eye, and it may deprive your eye of oxygen. Makeup may also cause infection if it gets into your eyes.
- Using expired solution or eye drops. Even if it may not seem like a big deal, it is important not to use expired solutions because they contain ingredients that will kill the bacteria on your contact lenses. Eye drops also have expiration dates that you should pay attention to.
Make sure that you take proper care of your eyes! To learn more about eye care, contact one of our optometrists at Valley Eyecare Center by calling (602) 955-2700 or by visiting our website.
