People often say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. So, it makes total sense that you’d want to keep your peepers in working shape – after all, you only get one set.
Because sight is frequently something many take for granted, BlackDoctor.org enlisted Benjamin Ticho, MD of The Eye Specialists Center in Chicago Ridge, IL to break down five things to NEVER do to your eyes.
For starters…
1. Don’t rub your eyes.
Washing your hands after using the restroom doesn’t only apply to restaurant employees. There’s good reason you should wash your hands before reaching for your eyes. Sure, it’s only natural if something itches – eyes included – to scratch it. However, rubbing your eyes before practicing good hygiene can have harmful side effects.
Not only are you at risk of infections like pink eye but chronic eye rubbing can lead to thinning of the cornea. That in turn can lead to recurring infections or worse, keratoconus. This condition causes deterioration of vision that in many cases can’t be fully corrected.
2. Don’t sleep in your contact lenses.
This rule also applies to “extended wear contact lenses (which are sold as overnight lenses),” says Dr. Ticho. According to this expert, overnight lenses “increase the risk of corneal infection (ulcers) several hundred percent when worn while sleeping.”
Corneal ulcers, described as inflammation of the outermost layer of the eye, can result in pain, excessive tearing, sensation of a foreign body in the eye, and worsening or blurry vision, according to the National Eye Institute.
3. Don’t buy contact lenses at gas stations!
“We have had several patients get decorative (Halloween) contact lenses at service stations, only to get corneal damage from poor fitting, poor-quality lenses,” said Dr. Ticho, suggesting that fans shy away from using the cheap lenses.
4. Don’t share eye drops or eye makeup.
Although this shouldn’t surprise you, sharing makeup is a big no-no. “Be aware that mascara becomes contaminated quite easily,” Dr. Ticho explained. Doing so could result in contracting “herpes, pink eye and other infections,” all of which are easily transmissible, according to Dr. Ticho.
5. Don’t skip eye screening examinations!
This applies especially for children who will “rarely complain about eye issues,” Dr. Ticho said. Because of this, “it is common to find children with loss of vision in one eye (amblyopia) or surprisingly high glasses prescriptions.”
The importance? By making it a point to see your eye doctor annually, you can catch common conditions before they start. “Glaucoma, one of the leading causes of permanent vision loss in African-Americans and older Americans, is almost always asymptomatic until very late in the disease,” Dr. Ticho added.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, there are two major types of glaucoma: primary open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma. Both of these can lead to blurry vision, severe eye pain, chronic headaches, nausea, vomiting, and seeing rainbow-colored rings or halos around lights. While the disease can be treated with medication, severe cases may require medical procedures such as laser surgery or a trabeculoplasty, the drainage of fluid in the eye to reduce eye pressure.
For more on eye health:
WATCH: African Americans & Eye Health with Dr. Edwin Marshall
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