Thursday, May 30, 2019

4 Regular Habits That Are Damaging Your Health

Some habits are good - like brushing your teeth every night, going to bed at the same time each evening, etc. But some habits are bad. We’re all guilty of having a few bad habits that plague our lives regularly. The problem is, we don’t even think anything of them as they’re just a part of our life. So, we continue with these bad habits until we see the negative consequences.

Unfortunately, loads of us are doing things that will end up damaging our health. For all you know, your health could already be damaged! As such, you must quit these bad habits right away. Here’s a list of things a lot of us do that will cause harm to our health:

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Brushing your teeth after eating

It’s a good idea to get into the habit of brushing your teeth when you wake up, and before you go to sleep. However, one bad habit many people are guilty of is brushing their teeth after eating. We’ve all done this before; you have something sweet, then brush your teeth almost straight after to make you feel less guilty.

Believe it or not, but you’re not cleaning your teeth at all. If you brush your teeth straight away, then you basically just rub the sugar into your teeth, making it more likely you’ll have oral health problems. When you develop issues with your oral health, it translates into general health problems too. Gum disease can cause heart problems, and tooth decay can cause bacteria to enter your bloodstream.

So, the golden rule is to wait an hour after you eat something. When the hour is up, then you can brush your teeth.

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Listening to music too loudly

Most smartphones give you a warning when you’re turning the volume up too high on your device. How many of you actually heed this warning? I know I don’t! As a result, you end up listening to music at dangerously high volumes for extended periods.

How does this harm your health? Well, it causes damage to your ears. This can eventually lead to hearing loss, which impacts your life dramatically. But, on a lower level, it can cause a problem called tinnitus, which is a ringing in your ears. Some of you might have this already; do you regularly hear a ringing or whistling sound that no one else can hear? If so, then you have tinnitus.

This issue can impact your mental wellbeing as it makes you feel like you’re going crazy. It can also cause stress as the ringing plays on your mind and keeps you up at night. Thankfully, you can get comfort from tinnitus treatment. Not only will hearing aids help you have the freedom to enjoy a better life by treating hearing loss, but they can also treat tinnitus. There are also therapies to get rid of tinnitus or at least mask the effects. Obviously, the best thing to do to avoid hearing loss and tinnitus is to quit this bad habit. Listen to your smartphone - it’s smart for a reason! Turn down the volume and give your ears a break.
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Staring at screens for hours on end

You’re staring at a screen right now, and I bet you’ve spent most of your day staring at one! It’s somewhat unavoidable, but staring at screens for hours on end can lead to health complications.

For starters, it will damage your eyesight, which can mean you need glasses. But, it can also cause persistent headaches or migraines. As if this wasn’t bad enough, the light emitted by these screens stops you from falling asleep. So, if you’ve been having sleep problems, it’s probably because you’re on your phone before you go to bed!

Like I said, it’s hard to avoid looking at screens - particularly if you have a desk job. However, you should make an effort to cut down on daily screen time, or at least reduce the brightness, so it’s not as damaging. Some phones and devices have ‘night modes’ that alter the screen and make it easier on your eyes. Every little helps; cut down on the number of screen hours you have every day.






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Overeating sugar

Don’t try and deny this habit because I know you all eat too much sugar. How do I know this? Because everyone eats far more sugar than they’re supposed to. Why do you think some countries are imposing sugar taxes? People are consuming far too much, so they need to do something to restrict the amount of sugar in common foods.

That’s the main issue; your typical diet includes foods packed full of sugar. We might eat a few treats every day, but loads of other things are also high in sugar - like fitness bars, soft drinks, fruit juice, flavored yogurts, etc.

Consuming too much sugar will result in various health problems. As well as the obvious oral health issues, sugar can cause things like diabetes. This is a serious condition that impacts your life and changes the way you eat and drink. Eating too much sugar is said to increase your chances of obesity, which opens up a whole new can of health problem worms! It is also proven to boost your chances of getting heart disease. So, in short, cut down on the amount of sugar you consume every day. It’ll be hard, but I have two simple tips. Firstly, only drink water. This prevents you from drinking sugary drinks. Secondly, limit yourself to one or two treats per day. This cuts down on the sweets and chocolates you consume!


Obviously, some terrible habits haven’t made this list. Smoking and drinking alcohol are the two worst habits for your health. But, I’m hoping you already know this! Instead, I want to open your eyes to some bad habits that most people are guilty of. You might not have known that they’re damaging your health, but now you do! Cut down on these bad habits if you want to live a life that’s free from many health problems.