The dryness of winter can affect your eyes and can make them painful and itchy. The dryness can also cause your eyes to become blurry, and in extreme cases, can damage your corneas. Some people have a difficult time creating enough tears to keep their eyes moist and need to do other things to keep their eyes from drying out. If you have trouble with dry eyes, here are a few things you can do to keep your eyes moist and healthy.
Use a Humidifier
A humidifier can help offset the dryness that occurs in your home and office when you turn on the furnace to keep warm. A natural gas furnace typically sucks in the moist air inside of your home to use it in the combustion process to create the heat to warm your home. The result is that cold dry air comes in from the outside to replace the moist air that gets sent up the chimney after the combustion process takes place. A humidifier will help you moisturize the dry air coming into your home, and help your eyes from becoming too dry.
Eye Drops
The regular use of eye drops will help you keep your eyes moist. There are numerous eye drops on the market to treat dry eyes and you may have to try a couple of them before you find one that works best for you. You should look at the ingredients on the bottle to make sure the ones you choose will work well for you. For instance, if the surface of your eyes has been damaged, you might want to get an eye drop that contains electrolytes. Electrolytes promote healing of the surface of your eyes that has been damaged by dry air. The best thing to do is discuss with your eye doctor what will work best for you for your particular condition.
Wear Glasses Outside
A good way to protect your eyes from drying out when you are outside in the cold dry wind is to wear glasses. The glasses will serve as a barrier to the wind directly blowing against your eyes. Wearing sunglasses on a bright sunny winter day when there's snow on the ground can protect your eyes from wind and sun damage. Non-prescription glasses can be worn during the night time to protect your eyes.
Many people have trouble with dry eyes during the winter. You may have to use a couple of tactics to ensure you keep your eyes as moist as possible to prevent the stinging pain every time you blink. Treating dry eyes effectively can also protect your eyes from further damage if they get too dry and start to affect your corneas. For more advice, contact a professional such as Envision Eyecare - Dr. Erika Duggan and Dr. Marilyn Lehrner.
Share19 November 2014
My parents taught me healthy eating habits and I played outside a lot as a kid. Once I was old enough to work, I got a job as a waiter at a restaurant and kept waiting tables throughout high school and college. After college, I got my very first desk job, and my health started declining. I soon realized that even though I had never stepped foot in a gym, I was living a sedentary lifestyle for the first time in my life. I wasn't getting exercise playing outside or running around at work, so I decided to commit to going to the gym. My health began to improve and I now greatly enjoy bodybuilding. I know many other people are in ill health and can't figure out why, so I decided to start a blog to share my health tips and inspire everyone improve their health!
