Are You Looking After Your Eyes This Winter?

From ice cold weather to increased glare from the sun on icy roads and paths – there’s no doubt that winter weather can be harsh on our eyes! With the season just around the corner, it’s essential that you know the right tips and tricks to maintain the health of your eyes and vision during the colder months. We asked our team of eye experts to provide some useful tips that will benefit you and help to protect and maintain your eye health this winter.

Dry Eyes

The winter air is drier, which can cause your eyes to lose their natural moisture as it is harder to produce tears, resulting in sore, dry eyes. Many of us are also more likely to keep the windows closed and heating on which can irritate and dry out our eyes further. There are a few things you can do to help prevent this:

• Reduce the temperature and avoid sitting next to heat sources
• Invest in a humidifier – this will keep moisture in the air
• Try eye drops to keep the eyes moist
• Blink more to allow your eyes to produce more tears

Winter Sun

Don’t pack away your sunglasses just yet, winter sun can be just as damaging to your eye health as sunny summer days! This is particularly important if you’re planning on hitting the slopes this season, as snow and ice are reflective which can lead to an increase in glare and therefore more UV radiation that usual. Protect yourself from harmful ultraviolet rays which can cause conditions like cataracts and macular degeneration, by simply wearing sunglasses or goggles.

Take a Break From ‘Screen Time’

People tend to stay indoors more during the winter, which often means increased screen time. Although this will not cause immediate damage to your eye health, prolonged use can make your eyes tired and dry, and even cause headaches. Remember to take regular breaks and apply the 20-20-20 rule; every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Driving

As the nights get longer, we spend most of our time behind the wheel surrounded by lights and glare resulting in poor night vision. Wet and icy weather conditions can also prolong your journey so make sure your lights are functioning and your windscreen is clean inside and out. Lastly, if you’re due an eye test, now is the time to book it!

To discuss your eye health, enquire about our vision correction treatments, or to book a consultation at one of our hospital based laser eye surgery clinics, get in touch on 0800 024 8888 or book a consultation here.