Winter Eye Care Tips

Have you noticed that the further into winter it gets that the drier your eyes are feeling? Have you ever experienced a day or two where your eyes are so dry that your contacts pop out? If so, you certainly aren’t alone. In fact, dry, watery, itchy eyes are one of the biggest eye problems that patients experience in the winter.  Whether you plan on spending your weekends snowshoeing outside or nestled up with a cup of coffee by the fire, we have a few tips to help your eyes feel more comfortable and stay protected.

Wear Goggles

If you’re planning on doing an outdoor sport like skiing, snowmobiling, or snowboarding, make sure that you wear goggles. Goggles with UV protection built in will not only protect your eyes from sun damage, but they will also shield them from getting anything in them— especially if you’re going fast.

Wear Sunglasses

Sunglasses aren’t just for warm days at the beach or by the pool. In fact, unless it’s dark or very cloudy outside, you should always wear sunglasses. Because the sun’s rays can cause permanent eye damage, it’s important to wear sunglasses that contain both UVA and UVB protection.

Use Eye Drops

One of the fastest and easiest ways to combat dry eye is with lubricating eye drops that moisturize your eyes. Depending on the cause of your dry eye and how severe it is, we may either prescribe you some eye drops or recommend that you buy some over-the-counter ones.

Avoid Heat

Although it may sound like the best idea in the world to sit as close as humanly possible to your heater on a cold day, if you have dry eye, that’s the last thing you are going to want to do. Warm, hot, and dry air will dry your eyes out even more and exacerbate the issue. Instead, try running a humidifier.

Keeping your eyes safe and hydrated this winter is fairly easy. If you want to learn more about your eye health or to schedule an appointment, contact our Longwood Eye & LASIK Center office at (800) 676-5050.