You know that avoiding exercise and eating junk food aren’t good for your health. But certain habits you may be doing have the potential to do significant harm to your body from making you sick to putting you at risk for chronic health conditions.
While the occasional vice isn’t always a hazard, here are some unhealthy habits you may want to keep an eye on to avoid inadvertently doing serious harm in the long run.
Playing your music too loud
Many of us like to crank up the volume on our music, especially when the beat really slaps. But it’s important to make sure you’re setting your music at a safe volume level. About 15% of American adults (37.5 million) report having some trouble hearing, and listening to loud music for prolonged periods of time puts you at greater risk for tinnitus. Your ears adjust to volume levels. If your music sounds too quiet at first, give your ears enough time to adjust to the volume level.
Staring at your phone
Your computer and phone screens project blue light waves. Blue light waves are the shortest, highest-energy wavelengths in the visible light spectrum. When you have prolonged exposure to blue light, you can actually cause retinal damage to your eyes. This contributes to age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to loss of vision.
Compared to cataracts, which affect over 24.4 million Americans aged 40 and older, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that can lead to severe or permanent vision loss. To make matters worse, we’re less likely to blink when we look at our screens, which is why computer use isn’t recommended after eye surgery. Consider using blue light glasses to protect your eyes from your screen, and remember to look up from your laptop or phone every now and then.
Drinking cocktails throughout the week
It’s five o’clock somewhere, but that doesn’t mean it’s always great to indulge in a cocktail or beer. According to health officials, it’s not recommended to drink more than seven alcoholic beverages in a single week. While many of us know the dangers of drinking and driving with alcohol contributing to over 15,000 car injury deaths each year, alcohol use can also contribute to other serious health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and digestive problems. That said, if you drink, be sure not to exceed more than one alcoholic beverage a day and to cut down on the number of beverages you consume throughout the week.
Sitting for too long
Many of us are working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have a cozy home office or you work on the couch, both of which may be more comfortable than your standard work desk, chances are you’re less likely to notice how often you get up.
Sitting for long periods of time can put you at risk for serious health conditions like heart disease and diabetes, even if you’re working out later in the day to combat those issues. Make sure that you’re getting up frequently throughout the workday to stretch. Even getting up to go get some water from the kitchen is a great way to get your body moving.
