Getting ready to head outside during the winter often means putting a hat on to protect your head, wrapping a scarf to hide your face, wearing gloves to keep your fingers warm, boots to keep your feet dry, and a coat to keep your body protected. Yet, we often forget about our eyes. And if not properly shielded, your eyes can experience all kinds of unfavourable symptoms in the wintertime. So before you head out in the cold, consider how winter actually affects your eyes and how you can better protect yourself.

Dry Itchy And Watery Eyes

Frigid weather and intense winds can quickly dry out our eyes. The arid air outside removes all the moisture your eyes need to function properly. And if your home’s humidity levels are not optimized, you could also experience itchy and watery eyes. So protect your eyes with eyeglasses, sunglasses, or goggles when you’re outdoors, carry eye drops to increase moisture, along with a towelette to dry excessive tearing. Your eyes will thank you for it!

Swollen Puffy Eyes

Dry winter air can also make your eyes and the skin around them swollen and inflamed. Packing eye drops can help whenever you start to experience puffy eyes.

Reduced Vision

When you move from a cold to hot environment your glasses tend to fog up, reducing your vision when you need it most. In this case, anti-fog coated eyeglass lenses can help, allowing you to see no matter what the weather conditions are.

Burning Eyes

Frigid air and bright light that is reflected off the snow can really make your eyes burn. If you start feeling pain, head inside until the weather improves. Then the next time you head out, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from wind and UV rays. You may also wish to purchase eyewear that is coated to reduce glare.

Itchy, Watery Eyes

Allergies commonly increase during the wintertime. The combination of dry air, dust buildup, and airborne particles makes for itchy, red and watery eyes. To combat this, you should talk to your eye doctor about prescription eye drops and how contact lenses can help.

We cannot stress enough how important it is to protect your eyes during the wintertime. Modern eyeglasses, sunglasses, and prescription eye drops should be your first line of defense against inflammation, itchy, burning, and dry eyes during this season. Come see us at Laurier Optical for a wide range of protective and stylish options for your eyes.