Dry eyes can plague you at any time of the year, but the conditions in winter can put extra strain on your eyes.
In winter we seek to spend more time in a warm environment, which is usually dry.
If you find yourself tearing up as soon as you return outdoors when it's cold or windy, or if your eyes feel dry and irritated indoors, then it's useful to be aware of a phenomenon called winter dry eye. Obviously it is related to simple dry eye, but in this case there are specific conditions behind the problem.
Our eyes rely on the natural moisture in the air for their hydration. When this is not present in the atmosphere, symptoms of dry eyes occur, which is the result of low tear production. The phenomenon gets worse during the winter, as the moisture content decreases with the colder weather, and we all resort to heating to keep warm. This makes the humidity indoors lower than outdoors, with dry conditions evaporating moisture from the eyes faster than usual.
When there is dry eye, the discomfort occurs in both eyes and is more painful for people who wear contact lenses. In general, the Symptoms are the following:
- feeling of stinging, burning or a foreign body in the eyes,
- watery and/or red eyes,
- mucus in or around the eyes,
- sensitivity to light,
- blurred vision or fatigue.
In these cases it is useful to protect your eyes from the air or sun when you are outdoors. Artificial tears are certainly relieving, as is keeping adequately hydrated at all times.
Another thing that can possibly affect us is being hit directly in the face by the hot air from the car's air conditioner. To avoid this, we adjust the air outlets appropriately.
Ophthalmologists generally recommend that we use as little artificial heating as possible.
If we have done all this, but our eyes are still making our everyday life difficult, then it would be useful to visit our Ophthalmologist!
Dry eye can damage the cornea and other eye tissues, so we should not assume that it is not a disease that can cause damage to the cornea and other eye tissues. something serious. They need the right treatment and care to stay healthy.
