Ready for another Funky Lenses Care Guide? As one of the market’s leading contact lens retailers, we want to make sure that you have as much information about your eye health and lens care as possible. That’s why we have the care guides- helpful articles, tutorials, and step-by-step guides on how to use your lenses and keep your eyes healthy. You can check all of them out below. Today, however, we’re talking about something super important: winter eye care! As the days get colder and the nights get longer, your eyes are bound to feel the change in the weather. Whether you wear contact lenses or not, your eyes might still need a little extra love this winter, so here’s our list of hints and tips for keeping your eyes safe and hydrated in the cold season!
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Winter Eyecare For You!
Why is winter bad for my eyes?
Before we get into the solutions for your winter eye worries, we should address why it is that this time of year is so bad for them. The most important thing to remember is that changes in humidity and temperature can be harmful to your eyes. Ideally, your eyes want to be nice and hydrated at all times, so a really cold, windy, dry season can be really damaging to them. Because of the winter cold, indoor spaces are often kept really hot, and these dramatic changes in temperature can also hurt your eyes. If you’re a lens wearer, this could impact how much longevity and comfort your lenses provide. So, what can we do?
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Stay Healthy- this seems like an obvious one, but your eyes can’t be healthy if the rest of your body isn’t healthy. This winter, make sure to have a strong and balanced diet, full of plenty of Vitamin C (mainly found in fruit and veg). This will make sure your eyes (and whole body) have a strong foundation to start from.
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Stay Hydrated- again, this might be a little obvious, but it’s important for a reason. As we already said, your eyes thrive in a humid, hydrated environment. And if you can’t always control the humidity outside, you can at least make sure that your internal body is as hydrated as possible. That means drink plenty of water! And if you find that your eyes are still lacking hydration, you can always help them along with water and eye drops.
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Protect your Eyes- the next line of defense is physical- think sunglasses, glasses, hats, etc. Anything that will keep the bright light and cold wind out of your eyes is ideal. This will help retain as much hydration as possible, without changing the dryness and temperature of your eyes.
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Protect your Home- you can also ensure that your house is optimised for your eye health. That means avoiding big changes in temperature, as we’ve already spoken about. It can be tempting to turn up the thermostat when it’s freezing cold outside, but try not to go too crazy, as a super-hot home may dry out your eyes. You can also make sure to keep the house well-lit, so that your eyes aren’t straining too much.
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Keep Away from Blue Light- most of our solutions are related to the winter season, but this one is a year-round top tip. Blue Light is the light that emanates from screens (computers, laptops, phones, etc.), and it can be really harmful to your eyes if you’re exposed to it for long periods of time. In today’s society, most of us spend at least a small part of our day looking at a screen, especially those with jobs that require a computer. So we know it’s not always sustainable to avoid screens completely. Instead, try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Want to protect your eyes from blue light? Check out our Blue Safe lenses below. These clear non-prescription lenses are built to protect your eyes from blue light.
TOP TIP: If you’re a lens wearer, your eyes can be even more at risk of drying out or getting irritated. To avoid this happening, consider wearing your lenses for shorter periods of time, so that both the lenses and your eyes can have breaks and get hydrated. Remember, you can also use an eye-safe solution to rehydrate your lenses at any time. Find out more about our handy lens accessories for your winter lens wear here.
We hope this guide has been helpful. Remember, wintertime doesn’t have to be bad for your eyes. Just stay hydrated, keep out of the wind and rain, and do your best not to strain your eyes. Got it? You can check out all of our other care guides below for plenty of helpful tips about your eye health and lens care!
