{"id":20143,"date":"2023-01-19T11:10:32","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T16:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?p=20143"},"modified":"2023-03-03T14:47:06","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T19:47:06","slug":"5-things-id-never-do-as-an-eye-doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-an-eye-doctor\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things I\u2019d Never Do as an Eye Doctor"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a new year! If you already have some health resolutions, grab your pen, you\u2019ll want to add these to the list. We\u2019ve asked some doctors for their insight on what you should NOT do in 2023.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n

It\u2019s still up for debate whether eyes are the window to the soul, but there\u2019s no question they allow us to see the world around us. For this reason, taking care of your eyes is extremely important.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We reached out to Dr. Xintong Li, an <\/span>ophthalmologist <\/span><\/a>at Sierra Nevada Eye Center in Reno, Nevada, for some advice on what patients should avoid if they want to keep their eyes healthy throughout their lives. Here, Li lays out five things she\u2019d never, ever do to her eyes, informed by her own expertise.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Never sleep with contacts in.<\/h2>\n

When someone sleeps with contacts in, <\/span>they deprive their corneas of oxygen<\/span>, Li says. This can lead to varying outcomes, including infection<\/a>. Li advises patients to always take out contact lenses before sleeping, even if it\u2019s just before a nap. \u201cOften, a 10-minute nap can turn into a three-hour nap,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She also warns against wearing daily contact lenses for more than a day, or monthlies for more than a month.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe longer you wear the lens beyond the recommended time, the more the material degrades,\u201d she says. \u201cIf your cornea cannot breathe or if there\u2019s defective material sitting on your cornea day in and day out, it creates a ripe environment for infection.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Never touch your eyes with dirty hands.\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The eyes are delicate. Li says she avoids touching them with unclean hands, and advises her patients to follow suit. This has been especially important during the COVID-19 era.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just critical to make sure our hands are clean before touching our face or eyes to prevent transmission of viral illnesses,” Li says. It’s also just more hygienic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Never rub your eyes.\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all guilty of this to some extent, but in general it\u2019s not recommended to rub the eyes,\u201d Li says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While it may seem innocuous, rubbing your eyes can cause real damage, like distortion of the shape of the cornea, the transparent part of your eye that protects your iris and pupils. If your cornea becomes too distorted, it can thin and morph into a cone shape, a phenomenon called <\/span>keratoconus<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis can have some serious implications,\u201d Li says. \u201cIf it\u2019s more severe, it would mean needing a corneal transplant.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t resist the urge to rub because your eyes are itchy, Li recommends using an over-the-counter anti-allergy eye drug or a cold compress to ease the irritation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven just refrigerated artificial tears will help to relieve itching by constricting blood vessels,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Never use eye drops that claim to reduce redness.<\/h2>\n

Although red eyes can feel irritating and unsightly, Li says she would never use drops that are advertised as anti-redness. Instead, Li encourages patients to find a provider who can help them treat the underlying cause of redness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While these anti-redness eye drops can help in the short-term, if you use them regularly, they can gradually <\/span>lose effectiveness<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour body gets used to the medication, and so you\u2019ll need a higher dosage for it to have an effect,\u201d Li says.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Never skip eye care appointments.<\/h2>\n

For most patients, the <\/span>American Optometric Association<\/span><\/a> recommends getting a comprehensive exam with an <\/span>optometrist or ophthalmologist<\/span><\/a> every two years or so. Keeping your eye doctor appointments is really important, Li says, adding it’s imperative to follow all instructions from your eye doctor, especially if you have a vision-threatening condition like glaucoma.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI’ve had a few patients who don’t follow up or aren\u2019t diligent with using medications, and it can even lead to blindness,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

If there are any questions, or barriers to care or obtaining medications, eye doctors are always there and happy to help, Li says.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPatients should make their concerns known,\u201d Li says. \u201cPatient compliance is key.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Need an eye doctor? Find one<\/a> on Zocdoc.<\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An eye doctor lists her don’ts for the new year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":20160,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[228],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice","reviewer-dr-nassim-assefi"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Things I\u2019d Never Do as an Eye Doctor - Advice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An eye doctor lists her don'ts for the new year.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-an-eye-doctor\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Things I\u2019d Never Do as an Eye Doctor - 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