Your eye health is always a top priority for us at Craven & Murray, that is why we have provided some top tips on how to care for your eyes during the winter months.
- Reduce humidity in the home
The extreme cold and wind that winter weather brings with it, especially here in the UK, along with the colder temperatures, can be damaging for our overall eye health. Dry wind outside combined with the hotter temperatures in the home due to our heating reduces eye moisture and leaves us with dry, itchy eyes.
Using preservative free eye cream in the evenings and whilst we sleep, and daily-use eye drops during the daytime can reduce irritation and dryness of the eyes.
2. Take a break
Staring at a computer screen, the TV or a mobile phone all day can really have a damaging impact on your long-term eye health.
To keep your eyes healthy when working at a computer or spending long periods using your mobile phone, you should take regular breaks from your screen and as we tend to blink less when looking at screens, using daily eye drops can help prevent dryness and swelling of the eye from occurring.
Taking breaks from screen time to go on a winter walk in natural daylight and taking stock of your surroundings both near and far will have a positive impact on your vision.
3. Wear your sunglasses in the winter season
Not only does the dry air and home heating reduce eye moisture during winter months, but we often forget that, although it isn’t summer, light can still cause eye damage.
Just think about how many skiers and snowboarders wear sunglasses whist on the slopes! Wearing sunglasses during the colder seasons reduces eye dryness and the negative effects of the sun’s glare; it is important to ensure you wear VA and UVB blocking sunglasses to block those harmful rays and protect harsh winds or other extreme weathers from getting to our eyes.
4. Stay healthy
We are more likely to contract common colds and other illnesses during the winter months, this can quite often affect our eye health, too.
Sore and swollen eyes tend to accompany the flu, or a head cold, as can eye discharge due to an infection. Routine care for your cold will also positively affect your eye health.
Taking immune boosting vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin D can improve general health including eye health. There is also some truth in the saying that ‘carrots make you see in the dark’ – vitamin A, found in vegetables such as carrots, has a positive impact on overall eye health.
If you have any eye health concerns, would like more top tips and expert advice, or would like to book an eye appointment at our boutique opticians in Rochdale, get in touch with us today.
