Protecting your vision year-round is extremely important, but did you know that just as colder weather can affect your skin, it can also affect your vision? Along with cooler weather comes dry air and sun glare, which can take a toll on your vision if you are not proactive.
Good Health in the Winter Includes Protecting Your Eyes
At all times of the year, at Eye Care of Delaware we encourage you to protect your overall health, and this includes your eye health. To help you protect your vision in the winter we’re going to share four specific tips.
1. Quality UV Protection for Your Eyes Is Also Needed in the Winter
Excessive UV light exposure due to the reflection from snowy surfaces is a concern. The snow can reflect up to 80 percent of sunlight, even when it’s cloudy. To best protect your eyes from harmful rays when you’re outdoors, sunglasses that provide 99 to 100 percent protection against UV-A and UV-B rays are recommended. This is especially important if you participate in winter sports like skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, or any other activity that will keep you outside for an extended period of time.
It’s also important to note that sun glare from the snow can lead to snow blindness (photokeratitis). This is a painful condition resulting in blurry vision, tearing and sensitivity to bright light. Ski goggles and/or a visor should be worn to provide maximum protection.
2. Winter Eye Hygiene
Due to the increased prevalence of the cold and flu virus in the winter (as well as conjunctivitis), it’s crucial to practice good eye hygiene during this season. Touching a surface prior to rubbing your eyes can quickly introduce germs to your immune system. Simply avoid rubbing your eyes when out in public, and always wash your hands before touching your eyes or putting in contact lenses.
Another important eye hygiene rule to follow is to remove your eye makeup every night – and never share your makeup and brushes.
3. Keep Your Eyes Moisturized to Prevent Dry Eyes
During the winter, cold winds blowing outside can turn out to be quite dehydrating for our skin and our eyes. Both cold air and indoor heating can cause the moisture in the air to evaporate, and this can leave us with a thinner layer of tears. The following steps can help prevent dry eyes.
- Decrease the amount of time you wear contact lenses – they can wick tears away from the eyes.
- Use a humidifier to increase the moisture level in your living/working space.
- Purchase over-the-counter artificial tears and use these drops a few times per day – especially before you head outdoors and before bed.
- Distance yourself from heat sources like heaters and radiators – avoid air blowing directly towards your face.
- Blink intentionally and excessively – People blink less when engaged in activities that require dedicated visual attention, like reading or using a computer or other devices. One effective way to help is to intentionally blink more often. This helps the eyes continue to produce lubrication in the form of tears.
- Incorporate the 20:20:20 rule in your daily routine to help reduce digital eye strain. This means every 20 minutes you will look away from the screen you’re working on; look at something else that’s at least 20 feet away – for at least 20 seconds.
- Keep yourself hydrated – Drink at least 8 glasses of water every single day.
If your dry eye is chronic or severe, make an appointment with your eye doctor. There are several successful treatments for dry eyes that vary depending on the cause of the condition.
4. Make Sure You Have Enough Lighting When Working
Many people will continue working from home this winter, and with shorter and darker days it’s important to ensure a well-lit workspace. Dim lighting makes it harder to see and can lead to eye strain, but proper lighting can help. Just an additional small desk lamp can help noticeably. Also, for some natural light sit close to a window during the day if possible – you’ll also benefit from taking in Vitamin D from the sun.
Get an Eye Exam if You Suspect Any Vision Issues
When you are having trouble with your vision, we highly recommend you make an appointment with your eye doctor. If you suspect cataracts may be an issue and you might need refractive surgery, make an appointment with Eye Care of Delaware. Call (302) 454-8800 today.
