Cold weather affects your body in many ways and the winter season is particularly challenging if you suffer from dry eyes. The cool air can be irritating for your eyes and the cold winds may cause burning, itchiness and sometimes even redness. It’s a very frustrating condition that makes you feel as though you have something in your eye and in some cases, the person may also experience blurred vision making everyday life more challenging.
Dry eyes are very common during the winter but there are ways of relieving this condition and eliminating the discomfort that comes along with it, so keep the following tips in mind:
- Use artificial tears or eye drops to help keep your eyes moist. Whenever your eyes feel dry or irritated, apply these drops a few times a day. Over the counter, drops work on some people but if you need something stronger for chronic dry eyes, you must speak to a doctor so they can recommend drops specifically for you.
- Invest in a humidifier that will help counteract the dry air during the winter season as well as the drying effects that are present with indoor heaters.
- Whenever the heat is on in your car, point the vents away from your face. This applies to smaller indoor heaters as well and there should always be some sort of distance between you and direct sources of heating. There should never be any heat blowing directly into your face.
- Stay hydrated. Drinking lots of water is not only important for your body but for your eyes as well.
- Whenever you’re outdoors in the cold, make sure your eyes are protected with sunglasses. Larger frames are recommended so that you get full coverage and the wind will have less of a chance of affecting your eyes.
- Make use of warm compressors to soothe dry eyes instead of rubbing them. Your hands may not always be clean and rubbing your eyes will lead to irritation and even cause an infection, so never rub them.
- This may be easier said than done but your eyes need a break from technology and digital gadgets which can lead to dry eyes. It’s true that people tend to blink less when they are in front of a computer which is why extensive use will affect your eyes negatively. If you can’t give your eyes a nice long digital break, be sure to take smaller breaks every half hour where you look away and don’t forget to blink.
- If you wear contact lenses use rewetting drops to help your dry eyes as you may experience more irritation than those who do not wear contacts.
Orangeville Optometric Centre provides excellent eye care so whether you need eyeglass frames, laser eye surgery, an eye test, contact lenses or eye exam give them a call today to book an appointment with an optometrist that cares!
