Here's how you can help out your eyes this winter.
THE SUN HAS GOT HIS HAT ON- even in winter
You might only think you need your sunnies in summer but the sun's UV Ray unfortunately do not become less harmful because its cold and you can't tan. All sunlight can cause damage to the retina and lens of the eye. Doesn't matter if you are in the Bahamas or the Yorkshire Dales.
So if its sunny think sunglasses.
ITS A SLIPPERY SLOPE
Both Snow and ice reflect the Suns UV rays. So when you are out and about the suns rays can reach your eyes from both above and below. This can cause blinding light and glare as well as the normal UV. So if you're driving make sure you're wearing wrap polaroid frames.
DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
Are you prepared for the long drive home in the rain/ snow and low light? You've probably noticed your vision gets worse when driving in the dark. This is due to your pupils dilating which decreases your depth of vision. So make sure you slightly reducing your speed, take more breaks and concentrate more than usual when driving at night.
If you're driving during the day you might suffer from glare off icy road surfaces, as mentioned above, so keep your windscreen clean both inside and out - also make sure you always keep a pair of sunglasses (with a prescription if you need a prescription) in the car.
For more info on what you need when driving check out our other blog "struggling to see when driving"- here you can read all about our prescription lenses that might be just right for you.
DRY EYES? TRY BLINKING
Dry eyes (especially if you are already a sufferer) can be both caused and exacerbated by your central heating which is a pretty huge problem in winter.
- So try to lower the room temperature slightly (where possible).
- Blink more, we blink less whenever we are doing anything that needs a lot of visual attention i.e reading/ using a computer/ watching TV.
- Get more moisture into the air in your home or at work. You can do this by either use humidifiers, opening windows for a few minutes on cold days or simply putting small containers of water on your heaters (refilling when all the water has evaporated).
OR MAYBE "YOU'VE NOT A DRY EYE IN THE HOUSE"
Well not the house but outside the house (but Meat Loaf didn't sing that tune). Watery Eyes can be a problem for many people when they do venture out. The general coldness and wind can cause your eyes to water uncontrollably.
The only way to help this is to wear eyewear (any form of it glasses, sunglasses or even goggles). Wearing eyewear can provide protection against the wind, even if you don’t usually wear them outdoors.
So if this is a problem for you, luckily for you, you're reading this on a website full of eyewear so go ahead take your pick.
20:20:20
We all tend to spend a lot more time indoors during winter, usually spent watching TV or using the computer. But as mentioned above we blink significantly less when using our devices which can cause eye strain. One way to tackle this is using the 20:20:20 rule.
Basically every 20 minutes take a 20 second break and focus your eyes on something over 20 ft away.
PUT the BIG LIGHT ON
Christmas lights and candles create the perfect cozy winter vibes but if you're reading, knitting or cooking etc you might accidentally cause eye strain and damage your eyes. So make sure if you are doing any small tasks that you make sure you do so in a very well lit room.
Keep the Christmas lighting, candles and dimly lit rooms for your Instagram or face-timing/ skyping your loved ones.
