Winter Eye Care For Indoor Air Conditions
March 7, 2018
We understand that last thing on your mind when you are cozying up at home with a cup of hot chocolate is your eyes, but winter eye care is more important than you may think. Damaging sun reflections off snow and dry indoor air conditions can irritate your eyes and impair your vision. Here are some things that can affect our eyes and how you can for them to prevent long term health problems.
The most common eye complaint in winter is dryness, which creates a burning or itchy sensation or the feeling that a foreign object is in your eye. The cause may be the lower humidity levels inside your home or office when the heat is on and the windows are closed.
People who wear contact lenses are the ones most likely to experience this problem, but it can affect anyone, particularly peri and post-menopausal women who may have eye dryness because of loss of estrogen. Sometimes people complain that their eyes are watering too much. That’s because their eyes don’t tear as they should and when they get dry and irritated, it makes them water like crazy.
Over time, dryness can cause blurred vision or damage the cornea, which can also lead to blurriness.
So how can you protect your eyes on days you are inside.
Keep them moist
Drink extra fluids and use hot or cold air humidifiers while you are awake and your eyes are open
Carry eye drops with you
Lubricating eye drops provide comfort. Saline, tear gels or ocular lubricant drops are available over the counter at drugstores. They help supplement the natural tear later and keep tears from evaporating.
Try blinking more
When you are concentrating or spending time looking at a digital device like your computer or video game, we forget to blink. Practice the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Winter can take a toll on your eye health, but taking these simple precautions can help.