Winter Eye Health – things to look out for and helpful tips

Our eyes can be affected by our general health, lifestyle, and the environment we are in. As winter deepens, it is important to take care of your eyes to ensure they stay healthy and comfortable.

Time indoors

During the colder months, many of us tend to be indoors more with heating systems on. This usually means spending more time on screens and in an environment with lower humidity. A lot of people spend most of their workday focusing on a computer, then there is mobile phone use, gaming and TV watching in the evening. Long hours of screen viewing can certainly lead to eyes feeling fatigued, even more so if wearing spectacles that are out of date or not using spectacles when they are needed. Our blinking rate tends to decrease when we are engaged with digital devices for prolonged periods, which can cause eyes to become dry and uncomfortable. Watery eyes can also occur when your tear film is drying out too quickly, as your body tries to ease discomfort by producing reflex tears.

To reduce digital eye strain, we suggest applying the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to look at something at least 20 feet away to give your eyes a rest. Spectacle lens solutions like anti-fatigue lenses are often useful to reduce eyestrain from close vision tasks. Being mindful of your blinking habits and consciously blinking regularly can help prevent related dryness. Lubricant eyedrops can often help increase moisture and reduce irritation. If you experience dry eye symptoms despite using eyedrops, it is important to have an assessment with an optometrist as identifying the underlying cause could help with managing your condition. Different treatment options may be available, including prescription medication and in-office treatments such as intense pulsed light (IPL) and low-level light therapy (LLLT).

Winter lighting

The amount of natural light we get is lower during wintertime, hence you may notice you need to wear your glasses more, especially as you get older. This is because when there is less light available your pupils will expand, reducing depth of focus of the eyes, which can cause you to notice blurriness. It is helpful to make sure there are good lighting conditions at home. There should ideally be high and even ambient light throughout the home and sufficient task lighting for specific activities like reading and writing. For spectacle wearers, an anti-reflection coating on glasses is helpful to reduce the effects of glare in low light conditions, also when driving at night.

When it comes to children, there is scientific evidence that spending more time outdoors could help prevent or delay the development of myopia (short-sightedness). So even in winter, children ought to be encouraged to spend some time outdoors. Like for our own eyes, we should just make sure they are wearing the correct prescription if required, and that their eyes are properly protected with well-fitted sunglasses and sport or lifestyle specific eyewear.

Protect your eyes

Due to the sun being lower in the sky, UV exposure during winter is significant in the northern latitudes. If driving when the winter sun appears low in the horizon, this can be particularly dazzling as well. Furthermore, snow and ice are reflective, so the sun’s rays can reach our eyes from above as well as below, increasing the harmful effects and intensifying glare. Sunglasses offer UV protection and also help shield our eyes from drying out in the wind. UV damage is cumulative, so sun exposure during childhood can contribute to long-term harmful effects of UV. It is important that children use sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection.

When did you last have an eye examination?

At Taylor-West & Co Opticians, our specialist optometrists will carry out comprehensive eye examinations not only to check your eyesight, but also to understand and monitor your eye health. Children’s eyes should also be examined as well as there are a lot of things an eye examination can tell us about your child’s vision even if they may not be able to tell us directly or specifically. Please feel free to call to discuss any visual concerns, treatments and symptoms mentioned above.

68 Northcote Road, SW11 6QL
t: 020 7924 4488
w: taylorwestandco.uk/battersea