Winter eye care for indoor air conditions
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. (Keep this quick fix in mind when you’re experiencing dry or irritated eyes.)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 come in complaining that their eyes are watering too much, says Dr. Pierre Faber, chair of the department of ophthalmology at Providence Health Care in Vancouver. Thats because their eyes dont 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.
How to protect your eyes
Keep your eyes moist
Drink extra fluids and use a hot or cold air humidifier while youre awake and your eyes are open.
Carry eye drops with you
Lubricating eye drops provide comfort. These saline, tear gels or ocular lubricant drops are available over the counter at drugstores. They help supplement the natural tear layer and keep the tears from evaporating so quickly, explains Ralph Chou, an associate professor in the school of optometry at the University of Waterloo.
Try blinking more often
When youre concentrating on a complex visual task, such as using a computer, you just dont blink as often, which can exacerbate winter dryness, says Chou. If your eyes feel dry at work, make a point of blinking more often.(Related:My Eyesight Is Getting Worse. Could It Be Related to the Pandemic?)