Women In Their 30s Should Be Avoiding These Health Habits

Don’t Ignore Your Sexual Health

As you enter your 30s, sexual and reproductive health are especially important parts of your overall health. Your 30s are a good time to find a good gynecologist and get in the habit of having an annual pap smear and pelvic exam. Your gynecologist can help you figure out if you’re using the best contraception for this stage in your life.

If you’re planning to get pregnant, you may need to make lifestyle adjustments to increase fertility and reduce the risks to a potential pregnancy. If you are sexually active, you should be doing regular screenings for sexually transmitted infections like HIV, HPV, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Don’t ignore symptoms. Untreated STIs can cause serious complications, including infertility, so detecting them as early as possible is important.

Your Skin Won’t Thank You For Skimping on Sunscreen

Wearing sunscreen is one of the easiest to keep your skin healthy—and you might be using it wrong. You might think you only need sunscreen on bright summer days, but that’s not true. The sun’s UV rays can damage your skin during any season, even on cloudy days. Maybe you think you don’t need sunscreen because you never burn. Nope! Everyone should wear sunscreen because no one is immune to the sun’s damaging effects. Sunscreen protects your skin from UV rays that cause sunburn and skin cancer.

Unprotected exposure to UV rays causes lasting damage to the skin, causing premature aging. But sunscreen is only effective against sun damage when it’s used correctly. You should wear broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Make sure you have at least SPF 30 when you’re outdoors. Remember to apply it half an hour before being in the sun, and reapply it every two hours, more frequently if you’re swimming or sweating heavily.

Your Body Isn’t As Young As It Used To Be, Don’t Risk Not Wearing A Helmet

This may seem like a no-brainer, but you might be surprised how many people don’t bother with safety gear when playing sports. Some people worry that wearing safety gear will make them look awkward or affect their performance. But it’s more than worth it to protect yourself against serious injuries, especially as you get older and your body becomes less resilient.

So, don’t leave behind that helmet while biking, skating, and skiing. It will keep you safe from potentially life-threatening head injuries. Safety guards and pads help prevent scrapes, sprains, and broken bones, while braces prevent joint injuries. Mouth guards are a good choice if you play contact sports like soccer or hockey or any sport with a risk of collisions. Eye protection, including sunglasses, keep your eyes safe from injury.

Not Protecting Your Eyes Will Make Vision Loss More Likely

Speaking of eye safety, there are many habits you should avoid in your 30s for the good of your eyes. One of the worst things you can do for your eyes is to fail to protect them. UV rays from the sun can aren’t just bad for your skin. They also cause lasting damage to your eyes, leading to cataracts and vision loss. A good pair of sunglasses will block 99 to 100 percent of UV rays. If you wear glasses, look for ones with UV protection and keep your prescription up to date to avoid straining your eyes.

If you wear contacts, clean them thoroughly, and don’t wear them longer than recommended. Put your contacts in before applying makeup, and never, never sleep in your contacts. The blue light from computer and phone screens can also damage your eyes. If you work in front of a computer all day, consider using blue light-blocking glasses and screen filters, or rest your eyes frequently.

Sleeping on Dirty Sheets Can Wreck Your Skin

When was the last time you washed your sheets? If it’s been longer than about a week, there’s a good chance you might be sleeping on a petri dish. Between washes, your bed sheets harbor all kinds of gross things, including sweat, dead skin cells, saliva, hair, pet fur, bacteria, and fungi like dust mites.

When left to grow, these things can trigger allergies or asthma attacks. They can also cause skin infections, irritate skin conditions like eczema, and clog pores, leading to acne. To avoid this, strip your bed and wash your sheets in warm or hot water once a week. If you have sensitive skin, you may need to wash your sheet, especially your pillowcases, more frequently. And while you’re at it, toss your blankets into the wash every month or two.

Missing Routine Vaccinations Makes You More Vulnerable to Disease

Vaccines aren’t just for kids. Adults can also benefit from certain vaccines and boosters. For starters, you should get a flu shot every year. The shot decreases the chance of getting sick and having serious complications. Even a mild flu infection can temporarily increase your risk of heart disease. A flu shot is particularly important if you’re in a high-risk group, which includes people with diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and a BMI over 40 and those who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

You should also check that you’re up-to-date on routine childhood vaccines. A tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine booster is recommended 10 years after your last dose, particularly for people who have or work with infants. In addition, a polio vaccine booster may be recommended to travel to countries where the disease is still circulating, including the U.K., Israel, Canada, and the U.S. Other vaccines you may need if you’re a world traveler are hepatitis A and B and meningitis.

Not Keeping Your Space Clean is Stress-Inducing

If you feel stressed out when your work or living space is cluttered, you’re not alone. Research suggests that messiness has a negative impact on mental health and overall well-being. Clutter can cause overstimulation, making it hard to focus or relax. Messy living spaces are also linked to poor mental health and higher stress levels. In one study, women living in cluttered homes had higher cortisol levels, hormones released by our bodies in response to stress. Cortisol triggers inflammation, which can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. By decluttering, you can reduce stress, boost your mood, and give yourself a more positive outlook.

In addition, clutter can also lead to procrastination and feelings of guilt and shame, which can further exacerbate stress levels. Clutter can also create physical barriers, making it difficult to move around and complete tasks efficiently. Furthermore, a cluttered space can negatively impact social relationships, as it may be perceived as uninviting or unprofessional. By making a conscious effort to declutter and organize your space, you can create a more peaceful and productive environment, which can have a positive impact on all aspects of your life.

Where Do We Find This Stuff? Here Are Our Sources:

Longevity To-Do List for Your 30s

11 Health Tweaks to Make in Your 30s to Stay Healthy for the Rest of Your Life

Women’s Health In Your 30s

Grow Up, Glow Up: 7 Important Health Habits to Build in Your 30s.

10 Eating Changes You Should Make When You Turn 30

The 30s: Keeping Your Health In the Balance

Healthy at every age: Your 30s

Health in Your 30s – HealthyWomen