Tips for winter eye health As temperatures plummet and the days get shorter, it’s important to ensure your look after your eye health . Here are some top tips on keeping your eyes bright and healthy through the winter months
Keep moisture in Cold winter winds and central heating can play havoc with your eyes leaving them feeling dry, gritty, and sore – especially at the end of the day when symptoms are often at their worst.
Working at your computer in a heated environment can cause your eyes to become dry, scratch and irritated. Eye drops help keep your eyes moist and reduce irritation.
You can also try to minimise dry eyes by reducing the setting on your central heating, protecting your eyes from the wind and avoiding car heaters, or any heaters blowing hot air, particularly at face level.
Remember to keep yourself hydrated, and you may also want to run a humidifier in your home to improve the quality of your indoor air.
Don’t forget your sunglasses Winter skies can seem dark and gloomy, but snowfall, ice and the sun sitting lower in the sky can create many reflective surfaces that can dramatically increase the amount of bright light which make it important to keep your eyes protected from harmful UV rays and glare.
Some people develop new light sensitivity during winter due to a condition known as snow blindness (photokeratitis), where the UV glare from snow, water or other bright surfaces can cause the cornea to become inflamed.
Protect your eyes with polarised sunglasses when going outdoors for long periods of time and try to keep a pair in your car for when the light is low to avoid reduced visibility when the light is low.
Take a break from digital devices With more time spent indoors during the winter season we tend to use our digital devices a whole lot more. Lots of people spend most of their workday staring at a computer screen and when you add this together with catching up on social media, gaming or watching tv in the evening it can take its toll on our eyes. Looking at electronics for an extended period of time causes us to blink less. This in turn keeps our eyes from producing tears, which can cause pain and redness.
Practice the 20-20-20 rule, where every 20 minutes you look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This can help reduce digital eye strain and actually keep your vision from deteriorating.
Get your lighting right Good lighting at home is important, particularly during the winter months when the amount of natural light is significantly lower and we rely a lot more on artificial lighting. Poor lighting conditions can cause unnecessary eye strain, redness and fatigue headaches.
To improve the lighting in your home consider the following:
Use multiple light sources in a room to increase the amount of light without relying on a super bright overhead light. Consider warm light bulbs over cool blue type bulbs to create a more natural feel. Shade bulbs so that they do not shine directly into your eyes. Use lamps with directed light for tasks like reading an writing Open blinds and curtains to allow as much natural light into your home and work space as possible. Concerned about your eye health? If you have any concerns about your eye health or are in need of a check up, book an eye test at your local Vision Express.
