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.
