Can Cold Weather Affect Your Vision?

Protecting your eyes in the winter weather is very important. A lot of times we don’t think of how weather can change things like vision. Here are some ways that cold or extremely cold weather can impact your vision.

• Being in temperatures for long periods of time that are below freezing can cause constriction of blood vessels in and around the eyes which can cause blurriness and double vision.
• The wind and cold winter air can make your eyes tear excessively and this can cause blurry vision.
• In cold temperatures the air outside is dry and when we operate the heat in our homes this produces dry air as well. So, between dry outside air and dry inside air this can cause your eyes to dehydrate and can lead to pain and swelling, blurry vision and even a burning sensation or even teary eyes to compensate for the dryness.  Dryness can cause your eyes to become red.
• If your eyes are not protected it is possible to freeze the cornea if exposed to extreme cold temperatures.
• The lack of moisture can make your eyes drier and cause them to be itchy and cause discomfort.
• Wearing contact lenses in the winter may cause you to experience dry eyes and be more uncomfortable in the winter. Allergies can also impact eye dryness in the winter months from the cold.

We wear protective clothing such as hats, coats, gloves, scarfs, socks, boots, ski pants to protect our skin in the winter. In the cold winter months what can we do to protect our eyes? Goggles! If you are going to be outside for any length of time goggles can help protect your eyes as well as give you extra face protection. Protecting your eyes in the winter from brutally cold conditions means choosing a goggle that has the appropriate features for comfort and safety. Consider anti-fogging goggles, UV protection – (yes, the sun can be bright reflecting off the snow), the goggles need to provide a certain amount of airflow for ventilation, choose the lens design carefully, for the best condensation resistance.

Common Questions About Cataracts

What is a cataract? 
A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects the vision, makes the vision blurry and increases the glare from lights. 

Who gets cataracts? 
By the age of 80 more than half of all Americans have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. Most cataracts are related to aging and are the most common in older people. 

What if cataracts are left untreated? 
Many people become legally blind from untreated cataracts. Cataracts can even cause total blindness if left untreated for a long period of time. Untreated cataracts will continue to worsen over time and cause continual reduction of vision. 

How do I know if I have a cataract? 
Some symptoms of a having a cataract might be you squinting or having to close your eyes in bright lights. Or, if you get a headache from flashes of bright light. Another sign of a cataract might be you having an appearance of halos and glare in your eye. You may notice an appearance of halos and glare in your field of vision. 

Can I prevent getting cataracts? 
Prevention is difficult but avoiding ultraviolet light from the sun by using sunglasses, avoiding steroid eye drops (unless absolutely necessary) and avoiding rare medications that may be associated with cataract progression are suggested. We recommend everyone have an annual exam to keep help keep your eyes healthy!