Battling Dry Eyes In Colder Weather

For starters, cold air doesn’t hold as much moisture as warm air. The drop in humidity makes your tears evaporate even faster. Plus, you probably spend more time indoors with dry, heated air when temperatures are low.

This winter wallop can leave you with eye pain, blurry vision, and/or a gritty feeling. Your eyes might tear up when it feels like something is stuck in them. But these watery drops don’t stick around long enough to provide long-lasting moisture.

The good news is there are ways to protect and soothe your eyes this winter. You might need special drops, lifestyle changes, or other treatments. Your eye doctor can tell you what’s best. Here are some tips to get you started.

Use Artificial Tears

Over-the-counter (OTC) eyedrops are likely the first thing your eye doctor will suggest. If symptoms are mild, these “artificial tears” might be the only treatment you need. But there’s more than one kind. Ask your eye doctor which one is right for you. 

Many eyedrops come with preservatives. They help keep germs from growing inside the bottle, but they might bother your eyes. Consider switching to preservative-free drops if you use them four or more times a day. These come in single-use vials.

You can also try artificial tears in a gel or ointment form. They may blur your vision a bit, so it’s usually best to use them before bed.

Make Lifestyle Changes

Blink more. This helps give your eyes a fresh coat of moisture. You might blink less if you look at screens all day. Take a 5-minute computer break at least every hour. Or look 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. This is called the 20/20/20 rule.

Change your contacts. Try soft lenses you throw away every day. If that doesn’t help, ask your eye doctor if you should get contact lenses made for people with dry eyes. Or you can switch to glasses.

1. Cover your eyes outdoors. Try wraparound sunglasses if regular shades don’t give you enough protection from the wind.
2. Turn heat away from your face. Shift car vents or heaters so they don’t blow directly toward your eyes.
3. Check your medication. Certain drugs or ingredients in them worsen dry eyes. Some examples include antihistamines and decongestants, antidepressants, birth control pills, and blood pressure meds. Tell your doctor about everything you take, including vitamins and supplements.
4. Add more omega-3 fatty acids. These are healthy oils found in fatty fish like salmon and tuna. There’s some evidence these fats may lower inflammation in your eyes or eyelids. They might help your glands make oily tears. You can also take omega-3 supplements. Ask your doctor if they’re right for you.
5. Drink more water. This is good advice for anyone. But your eyes might make their own moisture a little easier when you’re hydrated.
6. Take care during travel. Go over your winter vacation plans with your doctor, especially if you want to fly somewhere or take a mountain getaway. The air is dryer in airplanes and at high altitudes. You might need to take extra steps to protect your eyes.

Try Home Remedies

1. Use a humidifier. This’ll add moisture to indoor air. Keep one by your bed when you sleep. A humidifier might help a lot if you use a CPAP machine. CPAP machines help you breathe easier, but it can blow air toward your eyes. You can buy a small, portable humidifier. But a central humidifier can up moisture throughout your home.
2. Apply warm compresses. Cover your eyes with constant low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes. This might help boost blood supply to your meibomian glands. These are tiny glands along the edges of your eyelids. They make the oily part of your tears, which are a key part of your eye’s moisture layer.
3. Massage and clean your eyelids. This is another way to help the oil in your glands flow better.

Talk to Our Doctors

Dry eyes can hurt your vision over time. Keep our doctors in the loop if lifestyle changes and OTC choices aren’t enough. They may want to check for other health issues, including Sjogren’s syndrome.

Some, like uncontrolled diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, can worsen dry eyes. No matter what’s causing your symptoms, our doctors can work with you to help keep your eyes healthy.

(909)596-6756  2443 Foothill LaVerne CA 91750 

(909) 982-0100  1637 Mountain Ave Upland CA 91784 #drkennethboyerOD #drbrianboyerOD #eyewear #sunglasses #winter #dryeyes www.drboyeroptometrist.com

 

Eye Strain

 You probably use screens for just about everything -- to work, to relax, or just to keep up with daily life. If your eyes feel dry and tired, your vision is blurry by the end of the day, or your head, neck, and shoulders ache, all that time with your digital devices might be to blame.

If you change how you use smartphones, computers, tablets, and other screens, you can keep from straining your eyes.

Why Do Screens Cause Eyestrain?

Normally, we blink about 15-20 times a minute. That spreads tears evenly over your eyes, which keeps them from getting dry and irritated. But researchers have found that people blink less than half as often when they’re reading, watching, or playing on a screen. Also, the contrast of text against the background, the glare, and flickering from digital screens can be hard on your eyes.

Prevent Digital Eyestrain

No, you don’t have to cut out all screen time. But a few changes to how your use your devices can be easier on your eyes.

• Make sure your computer screen is about 25 inches, or an arm's length, away from your face. The center of the screen should be about 10-15 degrees below eye level.
• Cut glare by using a matte screen filter. You can find them for all types of computers, phones, and tablets.
• Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
• Take a longer break of about 15 minutes after every 2 hours you spend on your devices.
• Use artificial tears to refresh your eyes when they feel dry.
• Try putting a humidifier in the room where you most often use a computer or other device.
• Make sure the lighting in the room you’re in is bright enough. You don’t want your device to be brighter than the surroundings.
• If you wear contact lenses, give your eyes a break by wearing your glasses.
• Get regular eye exams. You might need to use a different pair of glasses when you’re working on a computer.

(909) 596-6756  2443 Foothill LaVerne CA 91750 

(909) 982-0100  1637 Mountain Ave Upland CA 91784

www.drboyeroptometrist.com

 Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness in the United States. In its early stages it has no noticeable symptoms. The American Academy of Ophthalmology advises the public that the best defense against developing glaucoma-related blindness is by having routine, comprehensive eye exams. Schedule your today. (909) 596-6756  2443 Foothill LaVerne CA 91750 (909) 982-0100  1637 Mountain Ave Upland CA 91784 #drkennethboyerOD #drbrianboyerOD #glaucoma #blindness www.drboyeroptometrist.com

Can Your Eyes Get Sunburned?

The simple answer is YES! Our skin and our eyes are organs. This makes them susceptible to the elements, which mean that like our skin, our eyes can become sunburned from prolonged exposure. There are simple things you can do to prevent photokeratitis, which is essentially damage to the cornea from sunlight exposure. Cataracts and macular degeneration are some of the long-term issues linked to prolonged UV exposure.

3 Ideas for Protecting Your Eyes in the Summer

• SUNGLASSES! Wearing protective eyewear is an essential for summer. There are a lot of great stylish sunglasses to choose from that can protect your eyes while keeping you looking great. Larger frames will always protect more of your face so consider oversized styles for prolonged exposure. Also, when shopping for sunglasses, the most important feature to keep in mind is full UV coverage. You want to look for a sticker that says UV 400 which covers UVA and UVB lights or 100% UV protection.
• Large brim hats are very much in style right now. When outside and exposed to the sun, wear one that shades your eyes.
• While at the pool, beach, lake, or river, consider an umbrella to create a shaded spot for yourself and your family.

How Are Sunburned Eyes Treated?

There are things you can do to make yourselves more comfortable while waiting for it to resolve. These include:

• Applying a cold compress to the eyes. A cold wash cloth over the eyes can reduce pain and swelling.
• Using artificial gel teardrops or a lubricating ointment. This can reduce the gritty or sandy feeling in the eye.
• Taking over-the-counter pain medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium can help reduce inflammation and irritation in the eye.
• Avoiding further sunlight exposure. Don’t worsen your existing injury.

Don’t Forget About Those Overcast Days

Even on days when you don’t see the sun, your eyes are exposed to UV rays. Wind, glare, and ultraviolet radiation exposure are always present. Regardless of the time of year, sporting the right protective eyewear is important for your overall eye health. Avoid the short and long-term effects of UV damage (and look stylish) by simply throwing on a pair of shades year-round.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and safe summer!

Haven’t had your annual eye exam yet? Call for an appointment today.(909) 596-6756  2443 Foothill LaVerne CA 91750 

(909) 982-0100  1637 Mountain Ave Upland CA 91784

www.drboyeroptometrist.com

Dry eyes

We rely heavily on our eyes every day, yet we often take them for granted. We spend too much time staring at bright screens, going out into the sun without any eye protection, and overtaxing them by close reading and burning the midnight oil during exams.

Yet most of us tend to be unconcerned about our eye health as long as we can see clearly.

Don't wait until you develop blurry vision before paying attention. Start taking care of your eyes with some simple habits:

1. Reduce screen time

Daily use on various screens such as laptops, mobile phones and tablets, can cause eye strain and dry eyes. These devices also emit blue light, which is harmful to your eyes. To reduce your exposure to blue light, make the effort to cut down on your screen time, adjust your screen settings, or invest in special glasses that filter it out.

2. Take a break to reduce eye strain

If you find it difficult to cut down the amount of time you spend looking at screens, make it a point to practise the 20-20-20 rule: take a 20 second break every 20 minutes of screen time to look at something that is 20 feet away.

3. Avoid exposure to UV light

Excessive exposure to UV light from sunlight or other light sources can be damaging to your eyes. Get a good pair of sunglasses that completely blocks both UVA and UVB light, and make it a point to wear them whenever you are outdoors during the day.

4. Avoid rubbing your eyes

Even though it might provide immediate relief or distraction from irritated or itchy eyes, it can exacerbate the problem and further worsen the discomfort. Use some eye drops to soothe eye irritation instead.

5. Get the right kind of nutrition to optimize your eye health

Getting the right nutrition is key to keeping your eyes healthy. Berries are good for this purpose, as they are packed full of antioxidants and contain anthocyanins, which have been found to be beneficial to people with cataracts, and could help to protect the retina from damage caused by ageing and overexposure to light. Berries also contain vitamin C, which may slow down macular degeneration and vision loss.

Call for an appointment to get the latest facts, procedures and supplement information for dry eye at drboyeroptometrist.com

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RECALL ALERT

RECALL:

Eye drops sold over the counter at Walmart and Walgreens have been recalled by the pharmaceuticals company Altaire. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says the products may not be sterile. 

The brand is EQUATE, and it includes eye drops, treatments for allergy relief, gel drops, and solutions all manufactured and sold at WALMART.

Customers with questions regarding this recall can contact Altaire Pharmaceuticals Inc., by calling 1-800-258-2471, or e-mailing otcdruggist@aol.com Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. Customers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using this drug product.

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax. Complete and submit the report Online Regular Mail or Fax: Download form or call 1- 800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178