6 Simple Ways to Combat Dry Eye Symptoms as Cold Weather Approaches
November’s colder, drier weather might be refreshing, but it can have an unfortunate impact on your eyes. The cooler temperatures can often cause dry eye, which makes eyes feel gritty, irritated and uncomfortable. Although dry eye is common, especially at this time of year, there are ways to find immediate relief while also protecting your long-term eye health.
Why Dry Eye is More Common in Colder Months
November is the time of year when people start spending more time inside with the heat running. Unfortunately, both cold outdoor air and heated indoor air can contribute to dry eye syndrome. Cold winds can lead to greater dryness on the surface of the eye, while indoor heating often creates a low-humidity environment that makes tears evaporate more quickly. Additionally, air blowing directly toward your face from home or car vents can add to the irritation. For someone who already has dry eye, these seasonal conditions may make symptoms even more uncomfortable.
Understanding the Symptoms
Dry eye doesn’t always feel like simple dryness. There are a number of symptoms that can result from dry eye, including:
- Burning, stinging or scratchiness
- Grittiness, or a feeling like something is in your eye
- Redness or sensitivity to light
- Blurry vision
- Eye fatigue
- Wearing contacts becomes uncomfortable
- Excessive watering (this may seem strange, but eyes tend to water more in response to added irritation)
- Difficulty using a computer for extended periods
Treatment and Everyday Relief
The most appropriate treatment for dry eye depends on how severe the symptoms are, as well as what is actually causing it. The most common ways to find relief include:
- Artificial tears, such as lubricating drops, gels or ointments to relieve mild symptoms
- Using a humidifier indoors to counteract the dryness in the air
- Drinking extra fluids to stay hydrated
- Redirecting the vents in the car so that heat doesn’t blow directly into your face
- Wearing sunglasses outdoors to protect eyes from the wind
- Prescription medication to reduce symptoms and increase tear production
Ongoing Eye Care is Important
Occasional dry eyes are inconvenient and sometimes quite uncomfortable, but can be managed relatively easily. However, chronic or severe dry eye should not be ignored. Persistent symptoms can interfere with everyday activities such as reading, driving, working on a computer or comfortably wearing contact lenses. Additionally, ongoing dryness and inflammation can affect the surface of the eye and may eventually cause damage to the cornea, as well as pain, scarring or even impaired vision.
Regular visits to the team at Family Vision Development Center are an important part of managing the issues associated with dry eye. During the exam, we can evaluate your symptoms, examine the surface of your eyes, assess the cause of the problem, such as low tear production, tear evaporation or another condition, and recommend the appropriate treatment. Follow-up visits allow us to monitor how well treatment is working and adjust your care as needed.
Don’t wait for your dry eye symptoms to get worse before seeking care. Contact us at 630-862-2020 to schedule an appointment now.
Family Vision Development Center is a full-service vision center offering innovative vision therapy services, sports vision therapy services, post-concussive vision rehabilitation, comprehensive vision exams for eyeglasses and contact lenses, management of ocular diseases including glaucoma, diabetes, macular degeneration and cataracts, and a state-of-the-art optical center offering the latest designs in eyewear. We are dedicated to keeping our patients comfortable and well-informed and we will explain every exam and procedure and answer all of your questions. We accept both scheduled and emergency appointments, and offer convenient financing and insurance options to ensure that high-quality vision care is available and affordable to all of our patients.