Yes it is nearly Spring but it seems mother nature hasn’t got the memo yet, it’s super cold out there this week so we thought we would share these helpful tips on how to manage Dry Eye Syndrome, as it is prone to flair up in the cold weather.
1. Protect Your Eyes – With this harsh cold wind we are experiencing recently, it’s important to make sure you protect your eyes from wind and debris in the air. Another factor is that at this time of year the sun is low in the sky and because it’s cold many of us seem to forget to wear sunglasses to protect our eyes from UV rays. Sunglasses are great at protecting the eyes from the wind and the sun because they are bigger than normal glasses and can protect a larger area around the eyes. So if you have some put them on, you will find they make a big difference.
2. Drink More Water – It goes without saying that our bodies need regular hydration to stay healthy. But during the colder months people tend to forget to drink water and stick to caffeinated hot drinks instead, but these can dehydrate the body even more. Try and get your recommended daily intake of water during the day, a good tip is to switch to decaffeinated drinks like herbal teas where you can have a hot drink but they hydrate you as well.
3. Humidifier – Having a humidifier at home or in the office will put moisture back into the air, in turn this will make a difference to your dry eye symptoms as the added moisture will help them not feel so dry.
4. Avoid Direct Heat – On colder days many people use fan heaters in the home and in the car, when using these heaters it’s important to remember not to have them pointed directly at your face. Direct heat from fan heater to the face can dry your eyes out, try aiming them towards your feet instead.
5. Use Lubricant Drops – If you suffer from dry eye syndrome then you will know, one of the best way to manage irritation is to lubricate the eyes, replenishing the moisture you are losing. During certain times of the year especially when it is cold your dry eye can flair up and so it is important to make sure you have lubricant drops to hand during these times. When you have flair ups it’s best to use lubricant drops at least four times a day to combat the symptoms and as it gets better you can use the drops less often.
We hope these tips help you get through this cold spell we are having at the moment, don’t forget to wrap up warm!