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How to Protect Your Eyes This Winter

Key takeaways:

  • Cold weather, harsh winds, and snow glare can all negatively impact your eyes in the winter.
  • Unprotected eyes may experience uncomfortable symptoms such as burning, itchiness, dry eyes, and more.
  • To protect your eyes this winter, remember to wear sunglasses, use eye drops, keep contacts moist, and wash your hands often.

Ready or not, winter has arrived, bringing harsh weather and chilly temperatures that can take a toll on the health of your eyes. From the drying effects of indoor heating to the intense glare of sunlight on snow, your eyes face unique risks during this season.

Thankfully, with the right precautions, you can protect your eyes and avoid any winter-related discomfort. Here’s how to keep your eyes safe and healthy throughout the colder months.

Ways to protect your eyes during the winter

Small changes can have a big impact on the health of your eyes, especially in cold weather. Try these tips to protect your eyes this winter:

Wear sunglasses

Many people associate sunglasses with summer, but they’re just as important during the winter months. Snow and ice can reflect up to 80 percent of the sun’s UV rays, increasing your exposure and risk of eye damage. Protecting your eyes from these harsh reflections is essential for maintaining healthy vision year-round.

Too much exposure to UV rays in the winter can lead to cataracts, blindness, and even cancer, so it's important to take preventive measures to protect your eyes if you have plans to be outside.

It’s important to choose the right sunglasses with adequate protection. The American Optometric Association recommends choosing sunglasses that “block out 100% of both UV-A and UV-B radiation” and “screen out 75 to 90% of visible light” for adequate protection.

Pro tip: If you find yourself in a situation without sunglasses, reach for a wide-brimmed hat or a scarf to wrap around your head to try and shade your eyes. Any protection is better than none!

Use eye drops

Tears play a vital role in keeping our eyes moist and healthy. During the winter, cold temperatures and low humidity levels cause your eyes to dry up faster. Without moisture in your eyes, you may experience uncomfortable symptoms associated with dry eyes, including gritty and/or burning sensations, redness, light sensitivity, or itchiness.

Artificial tear eye drops can help replenish lost moisture and protect your eyes. You can find these eye drops at most drugstores without a prescription. If you continue to experience symptoms of dry eyes after implementing moisturizing eye drops, reach out to your eye doctor.

Keep contacts moist

Due to colder and drier conditions, people with contact lenses may experience drier and scratchier eyes as their lenses dry out faster. Dry lenses may also impact the wearer’s vision.

If you wear contacts, the American Optometric Association recommends keeping the air around you moist with humidifiers or using rewetting drops to keep the lenses from drying out too fast.

Wash your hands often

Winter months also present a higher risk of certain illnesses that can affect your eyes, including conjunctivitis, which is more commonly known as pink eye.

The reason for the higher risk? Conjunctivitis is usually caused by viruses, such as the cold, flu, or COVID-19, that are more prevalent in the winter season.

To lower your risk, avoid high-contact places such as doorknobs, wash your hands frequently, and limit touching your eyes to keep germs out.

Protect your eyes all year long

Winter may pose certain challenges when it comes to eye health, but your eyes and vision need to be protected all year round. With simple changes to your eye care routine, you can ensure that your eyes look and feel healthy no matter what the weather is!

Delta Dental of South Dakota can help you protect your eyes with DeltaVision® coverage.