13 "Bad" Everyday Habits That Are Seriously Harming Your Health, Straight From Medical Professionals
Note: Some responses were pulled from this Reddit thread by u/prettiestburner.
1."Poor contact lens hygiene, including wearing your contacts to sleep or past their change date. I've seen so many eye infections lead to permanent scarring and vision loss. Also, never share contact lenses."
—Anonymous, 37, Texas
Related:
2."Not wearing earplugs to concerts. You should do it ALL THE TIME."
—angiebrucewayneb
3."Excess caffeine, like five cups a day. Coffees are overly treated with pesticides. Excess coffee disturbs sleep. If you're older, switch to decaf and just one cup a day."
—laughingpear48
4."Please wear a helmet!!! When riding a bike, scooter, skateboard, or ATV. It's important to protect your brain!"
—messyorc22
Related:
5."Dentist here. STOP SMOKING. Smoking leads to bad oral health and mouth cancers. Bad oral health can lead to blood infections, endocarditis, cardiovascular disease, pneumonia, pregnancy complications, etc. Just stop smoking. And yes, that includes the green stuff."
—Dentina
6."Alcohol will always be bad for you, even in moderation. The studies that claimed benefits from moderate drinking did not adjust for those with comorbid issues that already existed (those who didn't drink who smoked and then developed a stroke or heart disease weren't considered or 'adjusted' for to have a more plausible and valid study)."
"It's cool we get to choose, and I wouldn't want it any other way, but at least know what you're choosing."
—voiceofdecent
7."Drinking even moderate amounts of alcohol while regularly taking Tylenol or products with Tylenol in them is extremely dangerous to your liver. I've known two people who almost died because of this; they had no idea how dangerous it was."
—da23v8id34
Related:
8."Obesity and lack of exercise — even think about joints, knees, and hips. Think of fractures. Sleep apnea. High blood pressure. Think about how it feels for your heart to work hard to pull all that extra weight around your middle. And no, it's not the same for muscular people, who don't lug around 200 extra pounds around their waist everywhere they go. Without exercise ... your body gets grossly de-conditioned."
—Anonymous, 35, Belgium
9."Orthopaedic surgeon here. Ignoring T2DM (Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus) or smoking. Poorly controlled diabetes is one hell of a way to go. I've lopped off more feet/legs than I can count secondary to diabetic foot wounds gone awry. Smoking negatively impacts tissues and healing. Obesity up there, too. Every surgical and medication condition is made worse by obesity."
—johnnyscans
10."Carcinogenic activities, like sunbathing."
—noobREDUX
11."I work in healthcare. [Inactivity is harmful.] If you can, walk more. The walk to and from your car, around the house, or around Publix is not enough. Every now and then, you need to get up and actually walk. You have 15 minutes to scroll TikTok — you have 15 minutes to walk."
—marilern1987
12."Occupational inhalation hazards — such as those encountered in mining, shipbreaking (asbestos exposure), and construction — can lead to serious health conditions including mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis."
—noobREDUX
Related:
And finally...
13."Not wearing your seatbelt properly. Make sure it's over your pelvic bone. Too many people show up after an accident with internal injuries due to improper placement."
—Anonymous, 71, Canada
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Fellow doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, what are some other "bad" habits that people may not realize are incredibly harmful to their health? Tell us in the comments, or if you prefer to remain anonymous, you can use the form below.
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