Your eyes are often impacted by changes in the weather outside. All that cold weather outside and dry heat inside can really impact your eyes, which is why you need to make sure you are taking good care of your eyes during the cold weather.
Add a Humidifier to Your Home
When it is cold outside, it is natural to turn up the heat. The issue with using a fireplace or even an HVAC system is that all that heat can really suck all the moisture out of the air. When the air gets dry, your eyes also tend to get dry and potentially itchy. This can be annoying and can be really irritating if you wear contacts.
You don't need to turn down the heat; you need to reintroduce moisture into the air. The most effective way to reintroduce moisture into the air is by using a humidifier in your home. A whole-home humidifier system will add moisture to the entire home; you can also purchase a smaller portable humidifier that you can use in the rooms you spend the most time in, such as your bedroom and living room.
Use Some Eye Drops
The air inside tends to lack moisture in the winter, and the air outside can be bitterly cold, both of which can dry out your eyes. That is why it is a good idea in the winter to keep some moisturizing eyedrops handy, so you can use them whenever your eyes start to feel dry.
Protect Your Eyes
Just because it is cold outside doesn't mean that it isn't bright outside. When you drive or spend time outside during the day, be sure to wear your sunglasses. Make sure that you are wearing sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB light.
If you participate in outside winter sports, such as snowboarding and skiing, you should invest in some goggles that also block UVA and UVB light. Bright light, especially reflected off the snow, can hurt your eyes.
If you wear contacts, talk to your doctor about getting some UV-blocking contacts. This will help more fully protect your eyes from the sun. You can use UV-blocking contacts whenever you know you will be spending lots of time outside.
In the winter, try to add some moisture back into your home with a humidifier. Keep eyedrops handy for when your eyes feel dry. Protect your eyes from the sun when you are outside. These are three easy ways to take care of your eyes during the cold season.
For more eye care tips, contact an eye clinic like Cripe Stephens & Stickel.
When you look in the mirror and focus on your eyes, what do you see? Hopefully you see a strong and vibrant person — someone who enjoys and embraces life. Hopefully you also see a set of healthy eyes, although that can be tough to determine just with a glance in the mirror. Eyes can look healthy on the surface when really something sinister is going on inside of them. That's one reason why visiting the eye doctor is so important.
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