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Maintaining proper eye hygiene leads to better vision and eye health, but not everyone knows how to care for their eyes correctly. In this helpful guide, we’ll review some major eye care tips for you to follow. You can discuss more specific concerns during your annual eye appointment with the trusted specialists at Glimpse Vision in Chicago and Hinsdale, Illinois.
What Is Eye Hygiene?
Eye hygiene is taking the right steps to keep your eyes clean and healthy. Good eye hygiene involves:
· Cleansing your eyelids.
· Removing makeup.
· Consuming a healthy diet.
· Ditching habits that can harm your ocular health.
If you wear contacts, you must have safe and hygienic practices to prevent infection.
Benefits of Eye Hygiene
You’ll find several incredible benefits of having good eye hygiene, such as:
· Decrease your chances of developing a stye
· Reduce the side effects of harmful chemicals from cosmetic products
· Experience clearer and better vision
· Enjoy less eye irritation, redness, and inflammation
· Maintain healthy vision throughout your life
· Improve the health of other areas of your body
Heat and Eye Care
Our top eye health tips are washing your eyes with clean, warm water and utilizing a heated compress.
· Heat can keep the oil glands in the eyelids managed to reduce dry eyes
· Help eliminate bacteria and debris around the eyelid margin
Bacterial Infections and Tap Water
While maintaining good ocular hygiene matters, it’s vital to note that tap water can contribute to infections with direct contact with the eyes. Contact lens wearers should avoid flushing their eyes with tap water because bacteria, amoeba, and viruses can enter through the eyes, causing pink eye, harmful infections, or blindness.
It’s best only to use hygienic and specialist-recommended solutions and eye products that are safe for the eyes.
Blurred Vision
Smokers, people with chronic inflammatory diseases, and anyone with preexisting health problems are at greater risk for blurred vision. Vision disorders such as astigmatism, nearsightedness, farsightedness, and presbyopia can cause blurred vision. Working with a trusted eye care doctor will provide the best vision correction utilizing the newest technology.
Makeup Removal Before Bed
Although you might feel tired and eager to crawl into bed after a long day, removing your makeup is essential for your eyelid hygiene. Leaving makeup on can clog glands, leading to an increased risk of infection, eye irritation, redness, and skin irritation, especially if you’re using old or expired cosmetics. An eye-safe makeup remover solution, wipe, or coconut oil can ensure your face is makeup-free and ready for bed. Since cosmetics are under-regulated, many toxic ingredients can wreak havoc on your eyes, leaving them tired and irritated and causing discomfort when wearing contact lenses.
Ditch the Smoke
Quitting smoking habits can improve your health in several ways, but one of the main benefits is better vision care. You can see better by quitting smoking and decreasing your chances of developing eye conditions. Smokers are more likely to experience dry eyes, cataracts, macular degeneration, uveitis, and more, making it worthwhile for your eye health to quit as soon as possible.
Keep Your Contacts in Top Shape
Another key aspect of eye hygiene is the proper care of contact lenses. First, wash your hands with soap and water before touching your contacts. Next, replace your contact solution daily. Please replace your contact lens case at least every three months, and never use contacts past their recommended lifespan, as this increases the risk of developing major infections and eye irritation.
Using tap water to rinse your contacts is unsafe and unsanitary, as it is unfiltered and could contain microorganisms, bacteria, and more, risking damage to your eye health. According to the doctor’s recommendation, wearing contacts correctly is essential to protecting your eyes and maintaining eye hygiene. Infections and vision loss from poor hygiene aren’t worth a chance because of non-compliance.
Speak to an Optometrist at Glimpse Vision
Even if your eyes are in top shape, visiting an eye doctor for annual comprehensive eye exams is vital. Optometrists at Glimpse Vision will check your eye health, offer valuable eye care tips, and recommend the best nutrition and product use for eye health improvements. We also utilize the most advanced technology, skills, and experience to address all your eye care needs.
Now that you’ve learned the importance of effective eye hygiene, it’s time to connect with Glimpse Vision. We have locations in Chicago and Hinsdale, Illinois, delivering all of your premium eye care services. Schedule an appointment online or call us at (630) 325-2020 or (312) 943-2020 today!
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