Many people practice bad habits that affect their eye health or vision without even realizing it. Some of these habits can even cause blindness when they go on too long. Take note of these three bad habits that you should end for good if you care about your vision and eye health.

Smoking

Most people know by now that smoking cigarettes can cause lung cancer and many other health problems. Few people may realize how bad smoking is for their eyes. If you need yet another reason to finally help you break the habit, then realize that smoking cigarettes can make you much more likely to develop cataracts, glaucoma, and dry eye syndrome.

In fact, heavy smokers have triple the chance of developing cataracts in their lifetimes. Smoking also quadruples your chances of developing age-related macular degeneration, which is actual vision loss. Some of these risks are caused by how smoking affects blood vessels and capillaries internally in the eyes, so don't think that closing your eyes while you smoke will reduce your risk.

Using Medicated Eye Drops Frequently

If you frequently wake up with red eyes or your eyes become red as a result of allergies, then you may reach for that bottle of eye drops often. While these drops are safe for occasional use, over-usage can cause you more problems than you started with.

Of particular concern are corticosteroid eye drops prescribed to allergy sufferers with itchy red eyes. While these eye drops do relieve discomfort promptly, they also cause the pressure inside the eye to increase. This increased pressure can cause glaucoma.

If you use a corticosteroid eye drop, then make sure to use it sparingly and speak an expert, like those at Quality Eye Care, about how to minimize this potential side effect.

Leaving Your Hypertension Untreated

Untreated hypertension is never healthy, but you may not realize it can affect your vision. If you have unmanaged high blood pressure, then you may have an eye disease called hypertensive retinopathy and not even know it.

Hypertensive retinopathy is caused by the increased pressure in your eye, and it can lead to permanent retinal damage. Thankfully, if it is caught before it is too late, retinal damage can often be reversed if blood pressure is lowered into a healthy range.

Remember that any bad habit that affects your entire body can negatively affect your eye health. Speak to your eye doctor about how to get your eye health back after quitting these bad habits.