As the days get shorter and colder, winter can bring some challenges for eye health. You may experience uncomfortable reflections from wet road surfaces, as well as glare from snow and water. To help you look after your eye health during this chilly season, we’ve prepared some top tips to help keep your vision comfortable and clear. 

Reduce dry eye syndrome 

Dry eye syndrome can happen for a few reasons. It can occur when the chemical balance of the tears (which are made up of water, oil and mucus) is thrown off, the eyes don’t produce enough tears or they evaporate too quickly. Dry eyes can feel itchy, sore, gritty and sensitive. Check your symptoms and read more about dry eyes here. 

When the weather is cold, there is often low humidity both outdoors and indoors due to heating systems. This can increase moisture loss in our eyes as tears evaporate too quickly from the eye’s surface. Plus, without healthy tears, your eyes are less likely to be nourished and protected.

Top tips: 

• Using a humidifier to maintain moisture in the air at home. 

• Drinking plenty of water to keep your body and eyes hydrated. 

• Applying lubricating eye drops.

• Lower the setting on your central heating 

• Avoid your car heating being on high

Protect your eyes with sunglasses 

Although the sun can feel weaker in the winter, its UV (ultraviolet) rays are still powerful – especially with the sun sitting lower in the sky. Reflecting up to 80% of sunlight, some people even experience snow blindness, which is a painful condition where the cornea becomes inflamed due to UV glare from snow, water or other bright surfaces. Find out more about UV rays here. 

Top tips: 

• Choose sunglasses with 100% UV protection. Our sunglasses come in an array of shapes, colours and fits so you can see clearly and comfortably in bright outdoor environments. Find out more about our sunglasses here. 

• Try polarised lenses to reduce glare from snow and other bright surfaces 

Shield your eyes from the wind 

Cold winds can dry out your eyes which can increase discomfort. 

Top tips: 

• Try wearing wraparound sunglasses or goggles, particularly if you are cycling or playing sport, such as skiing or snowboarding 

• Wear a scarf to cover any exposed areas of your face in windy conditions 

Try to spend less time on digital devices 

When you’re spending more time indoors, you’re might spend more time on digital devices such as watching tv, working on your laptop, gaming or browsing on your phone and tablet. Prolonged screen time can cause dryness, headaches and blurred vision due to eye strain. Find out more about whether blue light effects your eyes here. 

Top tips: 

• Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Read our top tips on keeping eyes healthy when working from home here. 

• Ensure your screen brightness is equal to the area behind it by adjusting both your room light. Use other light sources in a room to increase the amount of light 

• Get an anti-reflection coating on your glasses 

• Consider purchasing a prescription set of glasses solely for use when on the computer 

• Consider warm lighting as opposed to cool to create a more natural environment 

• Use as much natural lighting as possible 

Avoid irritation when wearing contact lenses 

Contact lenses can be challenging when the air is dry. To help avoid irritation: 

• Reduce your wear time and use glasses when your eyes feel dry and irritable 

• Use contact lens eye drops as directed by your opticians to maintain moisture 

• Ensure you are following the correct hygiene steps as advised by your optician to prevent any infection

Read our contact lens top tips and advice here. 

Support your eye health through the food you eat 

Just like the rest of the body, your eyes benefit from a healthy balanced diet. Vitamin A is beneficial for maintaining normal vision and helps ensure eyes don’t become dry. You can find it in: 

• Eggs 

• Cheese 

• Milk 

• Yoghurt 

• Liver 

• Yellow and red vegetables 

• Yellow fruits like mangoes and apricots 

Read more on how to keep your eyes healthy through diet, habits and more here. 

No matter your age, if you’re experiencing any issues with your vision, or you’d simply like some advice on how to look after your eye health over winter, our opticians can help with what to do based on your needs.