These 7 common daily habits might be hurting your eye health: doctor

As Americans live longer, experts say everyday habits may be taking a toll on eye health earlier than expected.Dr.Douglas Lazzaro, professor of ophthalmology at NYU Langone Health, warned that several everyday habits may be silently affecting eye health.Age-related eye conditions include glaucoma, which damages the optic nerve, and cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens that can block light and blur vision.While genetics and aging remain major drivers of many eye diseases, avoiding the following common mistakes may help slow their progression and protect vision, Lazzaro told Fox News Digital.While exposure to sunlight is beneficial for overall metabolic health and longevity, failing to protect the eyes from the sun may lead to accelerated damage.Lazzaro pointed to research suggesting that long-term ultraviolet exposure may contribute to macular degeneration and the progression of cataracts.In the doctor’s own practice, cataracts are appearing five to 10 years earlier than they did three decades ago, which he believes may be linked to ultraviolet light exposure.He recommends wearing sunglasses in bright, sunny conditions to help protect the eyes, including the lens and retina.Reading in poor lighting can increase eye strain and make it harder to focus, particularly with age, according to Lazzaro.“As we get older, our eyes have more difficulty seeing under certain lighting conditions,” he told Fox News Digital, noting that older adults may have more difficulty adjusting to darker environments.“If you’re going be reading, and it’s not a bright, sunny day outside, or you’re not inside with bright lights, you should increase the lighting,” he recommended.Research suggests that a nutritious diet may protect eye health by reducing the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, both of which can affect vision.“Diet is important,” Lazzaro said.

“There’s certainly a lot of known data about poor diets [contributing] to poor cardiovascular health, ...