Protecting your eyes in the winter

SALT LAKE CITY — Did you know that our eyes need extra special care during the winter? It may not be top of mind for most people, but winter weather can take a toll on our eye health.

Let’s Get Moving host Maria Shilaos spoke with Dr. Nishi Reddy, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Moran Eye Center, to learn what we should do to keep our eyes healthy during the winter.

 

Dry eyes, viral conjunctivitis—also known as pink eye—and eye allergies are common in the winter.

People often suffer from dry eyes during wintertime because the air is a lot drier. Turning our heaters on can also make the dry air hot.

You can also experience photokeratitis, also known as snow blindness.

“That’s the sunburn that affects the cornea, which is the clear front part of the eye,” Reddy said. “And that happens when UV light is reflected off of the snow.”

Basic prevention tips

One method that can help dry eyes is using a humidifier at night while you’re sleeping. Avoiding eye contact with hot air is another method.

“Try not to sit directly in front of the hot air, as this can worsen dry eyes,” Reddy said. “I would recommend keeping the car vents turned away from your face.”

Artificial tears vs. eye drops

Artificial tears can help treat the symptoms of dry eye disease. However, it’s important to understand the difference between artificial tears and eye drops.

Reddy suggested avoiding products that say “get the red out” since there’s an active ingredient in those drops that aren’t great for our eyes in the long term.

According to Reddy, anyone can use artificial tears, even those who aren’t suffering from dry eyes.

“Sometimes it can be helpful just to keep those eyes moisturized,” Reddy said. “Because even if you aren’t feeling the symptoms of dry eyes, you may still have dry eye disease.”

If artificial tears aren’t helping with your symptoms, check with an eye doctor to see if there is an alternative solution.

Eating a well-balanced diet can help

The key here is to eat a variety of foods. Omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, tuna, sardines and trout can help keep your eyes healthy.

“We also want to keep our maculas healthy by getting our antioxidants in, specifically lutein and zeaxanthin,” Reddy said. “These are found in the pigments that we see in green vegetables like kale or spinach or collard greens.”

Lastly, get some Vitamin A from foods like carrots, squash, apricots, and eggs.

Read more from the Let’s Get Moving podcast:

• How to prioritize mental health at work
• Get your Vitamin D from food this winter
• How to identify and prevent substance use disorder

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