Taking care of your eyes during the winter
During the colder months, we are prone to protect our bodies by covering ourselves in thick layers to keep ourselves warm. However, one important part of the body that people forget to protect during the colder months is our eyes.
Eye care is important during winter as eye irritation is most common when there is a change in the season as cold air can take moisture from your eyes. We generally stay indoors during the colder months so when the warm air greets us when we walk into a room this can cause eye dryness even more. Some symptoms that we may experience if we have dry eyes include blurry vision, stinging and burning, redness and tearing.
Dry irritation is common during the winter yet it does not have to be if you follow these important steps to taking care of your eyes.
Regulate indoor temperatures
When we settle into our cosy warm homes at night our eyes can become extremely dry. This is due to the high temperatures set in our homes. To prevent eye dryness we should turn down the central heating to a mild temperature to keep the moisture in our eyes.
Hydration
Keeping yourself hydrated is an important way to fight dry eyes. It is recommended that you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to lead a healthy lifestyle as well as keeping enough moisture in your eyes.
Wear sunglasses
Most of us wear sunglasses during summertime as the sun is more visible. However, the sun is still there during the winter through the hidden clouds. It emits UV rays that can become harmful if your eyes are uncovered.
Artificial tears
After following these steps and your eyes are still dry then it is best to resort to a doctor who may recommend drops that produce artificial tears and help moisten dry eyes.
It is important to follow these steps during the colder months as dry eyes can cause an extreme amount of discomfort. So, when they are treated it can dramatically improve your quality of life.
