12 Daily Habits That Are Causing Such Damage to Your Health

If anyone told you (you) were responsible for over half of the health care challenges you currently go through, I'm sure you would disagree, and possibly even get upset.

But did you know that a lot of us bring these health care challenges upon ourselves?

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 800 million people spend a noticeable portion of their income (10%) taking care of themselves, or a sick relative.

This is money that could have been spent in other ways if we'd just done things a little differently.

A lot of the health care challenges or minor ailments we bring upon ourselves are caused by our lifestyle choices or daily habits we practice.

1. Sleeping with Your Makeup On

Sleeping with your makeup up might seem like a really harmless thing to do, especially when you're extremely tired, but it really isn't.

Some of the health care challenges you're likely to face when you with your makeup on include:

- A clogged skin that promotes to constant breakouts.
- Eye irritation and the possibility of an eye infection as the pores in the eyes could get clogged.
- Developing a dull-looking skin
- Having broken, scanty lashes.
- Premature wrinkles and age lines.

So, even when you're tired (we all get this sometimes), you should endeavor to remove your makeup using a gentle cleanser or by washing your face.

2. Wearing a Sanitary Pad for More than the Recommended Duration

There are a few reasons why a woman might wear a sanitary towel for more than the recommended hours (from having a very busy schedule all through the day, to not being around an extra pad). However, the fact remains that your lady bits isn't as understanding of these reasons, neither is it forgiving and you stand the chance of developing one or more health care challenges with this habit.

Besides the obvious discomfort you'll feel from doing so, there's also the fact this habit leaves you at great risk of being infected by bacteria from the pad.

You see, when you expel menstrual blood from your uterus, it sinks into the pad and turns to gel and over the space of a few hours, bacteria could build up there.

You should change your pad or tampon to avoid getting infected.

3. Not Using a Sunscreen When Stepping Out

Not wearing a sunscreen when you step out of your house, is quite risky as there is the possibility of getting sunburnt, a condition that isn't just extremely painful, but is also damaging to your skin.

Yet another health care challenge you'll face is being exposed to the harmful UVA and UVB rays of the sun, two factors that could cause skin cancer.

You should endeavor to use a cream with a sunscreen protection factor of 30 and above at all time to keep your skin protected.

4. Taking Drugs to Hasten Your Period Flow

Yet on the list of habits that cause health care challenges is taking drugs to hasten your menstrual flow. While this is not yet proven, a lot of women however claim taking lots of vitamin C a few days leading up to their period and also during it, using hormonal birth control patches and pills, and taking over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and naproxen have been known to hasten their period, making it end days earlier than it should.

Other drugs women take are Seasonale (which can make your period cease for up to four months) and Norethisterone (taken three days before the start of your period and every day for 20 days) which stops your period for up to 17 days.

Again, while not proven, it is believed stopping your period, especially when you do it constantly, puts you at risk of osteoporosis and a gradual loss of bone density.

5. Sleeping with Your Bra

People who wear a bra to bed do so with the belief it makes heir breasts perkier. However, recent research has shown that wearing one to bed has no effect on the breasts sagging whatsoever.

However, it can restrict the flow of blood to the blood vessels in that region, bringing a whole new range of health complications.

6. Wearing High Heels for Too Long

While wearing high heels may be sexy, they could also bring about a range of health care challenges if worn for too long.

This is because wearing heels puts a lot on pressure your calves and ankle, making them take on most of the work of supporting your weight.

Some of these possible health complications to look out for include fungal nails, corn foot, constricted blood vessels, foot pain, back ache, and arthritis.

7. Sharing Undies

Without meaning to sound judgemental, sharing undies is just wrong on so many levels.

Sharing underwear puts you at risk of contracting an infection as you likely will have no idea what the other person's medical history is.

Even when properly washed, a few pathogens still survive and remain on these undies and are easily transferred into you when you wear them.

8. Binge Eating

While you might have a plausible reason for binge eating, the fact remains binge eating is ultimately bad for your health.

Not only are you at risk of gaining some extra points, you also stand the risk of taking too much of some items like sugar and cholesterol, which would be bad for your health.

9. Not Taking Enough Water

The recommended glasses of water to be taken daily are 7-8. Not taking these places you at risk of the following:

- Bad breath
- Fatigue
- Constant Illness (as toxins don't get flushed out often)
- Unhealthy looking skin
- Constipation
- Thickened blood (thereby reducing how fast and easily oxygen gets transported around your system).
- Loss of cognitive function (in extreme cases)
- Hyperthemia

10. Skipping Breastfast

Unlike not drinking enough water that has very clear health challenges, skipping breakfast is only harmful in that it likely makes you eat more.

When you get extremely hungry, your body goes into the fight or flight mode, making it very likely for you to eat more.

So, if your intention of skipping breakfast was to lose weight, you'd have so very sadly defeated this purpose.

11. Not Sleeping Enough

Not sleeping enough could cause stress and also weakens your immune system, making it hard for it to defend tour body.

If you're sleep deprived for a prolonged period, you become diabetes and some heart complications.

12. Eating Late at Night

Eating late at night doesn't necessarily bring about any health care challenges, but it does increase the likelihood for you to get fat.

Eating late at night has also been linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes and certain heart diseases.

It is recommended you stop eating by 6-7 as anything outside of this and the food gets stored as fat, instead of being used up.