Is Your Lifestyle Affecting Your Eyes?

Our lifestyle factors can affect our overall health and well-being. The choices we make every day can impact how well we age, and that includes our eyes. In some cases, we may not even be aware of how the choices we make affect both how our eyes look and our vision.

The good news is most people can take steps to change lifestyle factors that may adversely affect their eyes. The first step is recognizing things that may affect your eyes. 
​

​Does lifestyle affect the eyes?

Your lifestyle can affect your eye health, how your eyes look, and your risk of developing an eye disease. As with many conditions, you may also have certain risk factors for eye problems that are out of your control, such as age and family history.

The lifestyle choices you make can either compromise your eye health or promote healthy vision. Healthy lifestyle choices may also affect signs of aging around the eyes.

Making certain choices does not guarantee you will not develop an eye disease or you will never develop crow’s feet, but healthy habits can decrease the risk of some eye issues. 
​

Lifestyle choices that may adversely affect the eyes

From time to time, most of us make unhealthy lifestyle choices. Many people occasionally eat a fatty meal, skip a workout, or do not get enough sleep. But when unhealthy habits become the norm, it might be time to consider making some changes. Below are lifestyle choices that may negatively affect your eyes and maybe age you.

Too much sun exposure: Too much sun exposure increases your risk of lines and wrinkles around your eyes. Also, too much exposure to the sun can increase your risk of developing certain eye diseases. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, exposure to UV rays from the sun can increase your risk of macular degeneration, cataracts, and skin cancer.

Lack of sleep: According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, lack of sleep can increase the likelihood of developing puffiness and dark circles, which tend to make us look older.

Being overweight: Being overweight can increase your risk of eye problems in a few ways. For instance, being overweight increases your risk of developing diabetes. People with diabetes carry a higher risk of vision loss from diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Obesity also raises your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, which may negatively affect vision.

Smoking: Smoking can cause problems with how fast the skin around your eyes ages. Smoking may speed up the breakdown of collagen, which can cause sagging eyelids and wrinkles around your eyes.

But smoking has even more serious consequences. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking is linked to an increased risk of eye diseases, including cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, both of which threaten vision. 

Being sedentary: Lack of exercise can increase your risk of obesity and diabetes, which can also raise your chances of eye problems. Exercise improves blood flow throughout the body, including the eyes. Exercise may improve the delivery of nutrients the body needs for optimal collagen production.

Skipping eye exams: Certain types of eye diseases do not cause symptoms until they are advanced. You may miss a diagnosis if you skip a routine eye exam. Keeping your vision as good as possible for as long as possible is vital for your well-being.

A healthy lifestyle can have a positive effect on your eyes and vision. If you have any questions, we are happy to help. Also, if you would like to ask whether an appointment with one of our eye doctors would be appropriate at this time, call our office at 508-746-8600.