5 Seemingly Harmless Things You Do Almost Every Day

In the 21st century, all of us seem to have unhealthy lifestyles, from the food we eat to the air we breathe. A lot of this has to do with the environment around us, which is conducive to unhealthy eating patterns and unhealthy life choices as well. However, a large portion of the population is now making a conscious effort to make healthier choices to create healthier lifestyles for themselves, and for their families. Despite these changes being made, we still end up doing things that we consider to be harmless, almost daily, but these things are actually quite unhealthy and may eventually also be life-threatening. 

Here are 5 seemingly harmless things you do every day:

•    Not applying sunscreen 

This is one such thing that not a lot of people pay attention to. Sunscreen is considered to be a luxury or an extra step in your self-care routine and is not considered to be the potential lifesaver that it is.

Harmful sun rays are known to prematurely age the skin, cause wrinkles and fine lines, cause sunburns, and also eventually lead to forms of skin cancer by prolonged exposure to the sun without ample sunscreen being used. This seemingly harmless step that we miss in our daily routine is something that can have a massive impact on our body, especially in light of the environmental concerns which have depleted the ozone layer and made sun rays even more harmful. 

•    Brushing too hard or too much

Experts at Click Pharmacy state that, quite often, patients may come to them complaining about pain and soreness in their jaws and gums, and they have found out a very odd reason behind it. Sometimes people may end up brushing their teeth too hard or maybe too often in a day, which makes the gums bleed, and also makes them weaker.

Some people may believe that brushing your teeth more than twice a day, or brushing your teeth vigorously for over three minutes is right for your teeth and protects them from cavities. The truth, however, is that excess brushing or vigorous brushing wears away the enamel of the tooth and makes it more prone to cavities than it generally is. Apart from this, gums also become weaker and, which may make them more prone to infections as well. 

It is recommended to speak to your dentist about your brushing habits to make sure that you are not damaging your teeth and gums, and to use softer brushes with the appropriate brushing technique as per your dentist’s recommendation. 

•    Pain killers

Pain killers have become an essential part of everyone’s life, especially with pharmaceutical companies creating more cost-effective and readily available pain killers for the market. Most brands of pain killer have OTC options which are easy to come by and do not require any prescription, which is why most families stock up on these painkillers and use them abundantly in their day to day life. 

Doctors and experts at Click Pharmacy advise against self-administered drugs, even OTC painkillers because more often than not, they are being used in a much higher frequency than needed. Using pain killers for every sort of issue can also result in resistance to pain killers, which can prove dangerous in situations in which pain killers are being relied on to help you out. Developing resistances means that stronger doses of the medication will be used, which will have to get progressively stronger if they do not work the same way. This can prove to be extremely costly and dangerous in the long run.

•    Not sleeping enough

Our busy work lives make it difficult for us to take time out for ourselves, and one of the many things that we may compromise on is our sleep. Studies show that most working adults sleep less than 8 hours a day, which is not enough time for the body to rest and recuperate from all the hard work we do each day. In the long run, what might seem like a harmless habit of not sleeping a lot, can cause serious mental health-related and physical problems such as insomnia, chronic fatigue, and cardiovascular diseases as well. 

Another significant risk that is associated with not sleeping properly every day is the fact that when we are tired, we are at more risk to be involved in accidents. Studies show that individuals that do not sleep enough every day are more at risk of getting into car accidents and have a higher chance of dying as a result of these accidents. 

•    Too much alcohol 

One glass of wine a day seems like an okay way to unwind after a long workday, and going out for happy hours or on the weekends with your friends to relax after a long week is also a great way to blow off some steam. However, these habits may result in excessive drinking or drinking too much without pacing yourself, which can cause alcohol poisoning; a condition which can be fatal. 

Individuals that drink a lot on a regular everyday basis are also more at risk to develop liver-related health issues such as cirrhosis or even cancer. 

Our lifestyles have made it possible for us to do most, if not all, of the five things mentioned above because they do not interfere with our work life as such, and also make our day to day lives a bit easier and convenient. However, we are generally not aware of just how dangerous they can be and how one small thing may have such significant implications and impacts. We are not taught how to moderate some of the actions mentioned above, and we are also not shown the correct method to do certain things or why certain things might be necessary. This is why it is imperative to educate ourselves about the many seemingly harmless things that we do every day.