Ever find that your eyes have a different feel to them in the winter? Once an individual has stepped outside, it is typical for him or her to have more irritation or discomfort from increased blinking than when indoors. Rubbing their own eyes at night without even knowing it, or just noticing that the glare from their windscreen is sharper. If your eyes get dry halfway through the day because of your indoor heating system, then most likely your eyes have been subjected to a significant amount of drying out.
According to Dr Yogesh Chougule, Consultant Cataract, Cornea & Refractive Surgeon at the National Institute of Ophthalmology, Pune, "People experience many discomforts which all begin with low humidity in winters. The capacity of cold air to hold moisture is less compared to the capacity of warm air. Therefore, tears will evaporate at an increased rate when exposed to cold ambient air, than when exposed to warm air."
Central heat and room heaters are examples of heating systems that strip moisture from air, creating dry, irritated, red eyes due to too much heating indoors. The movement between cold wind and warm, dry indoor air will place excessive stress on the surface of the eye. Some common symptoms experienced during the winter months are:
Research indicates that during the winter months, a person will develop dry eye symptoms even if he/she normally do not have problems with dry eyes. Numerous factors encountered daily will worsen the symptoms associated with DES:
In today's age and time the cold winter often keeps us indoors glued to our phone screens. When people are doing anything on electronics or staring at a screen for long periods of time indoors, they tend to blink less. Blinking less will increase both dry eyes and eye strain for the individual.
Not wearing sunglasses during winter can be harmful to eyes, as winter snow can reflect up to 80% of the sun's UV rays." These rays can create snow blindness, and that may cause long-term damage to the cornea. This is especially bad for individuals who are light sensitive.
During the winter season, people usually drink less water. This will increase the discomfort of the lifestyle and will affect eyes. It is important to balance out the nutrition and liquid intake. Also, less intake of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin A will affect the quality of the tears and the long-term health of the eyes.
In winter, the cold air will absorb the moisture from the eyes when you step outside your house without glasses. This moisture absorption will cause eye irritation and develop allergies. To avoid this, one should use wraparound sunglasses or ski goggles. They act as a good barrier against cold air while going outside on a cold windy day or while participating in winter sports.
When you spend too much time in a heated room without a humidifier, it can cause tear evaporation. The indoor heating dries out air inside the room rapidly, especially the air inside closed spaces. This will lead to tears drying out quickly, which will cause the eyes to become dry and irritated. This leads to itchy and tired eyes. And due to this, people tend to rub their eyes more often.
People rub eyes frequently mostly due to the sensations caused by dryness and irritation. This small habit will increase the risk of irritation or infection. Rubbing will also exacerbate the redness of the eyes, transfer germs from hands to the eyes, and increase the risk of infection. Because of this, it is good to review your basic eye hygiene and avoid touching your eyes more for no reason, particularly during the winter months.
These symptoms that irritate are likely triggered during normal daily activity. But a slight awareness about this trigger can help in making simple adjustments which can minimise the irritation, discomfort, and long-term effects of it throughout the winter.