What Causes Dry Eyes in Winter and How Are They Treated?
For some people, it happens every year. The days grow shorter, the temperatures begin to fall, sunny days are gradually replaced with overcast skies, and your eyes begin to water and itch like you’ve faceplanted into the world’s biggest pile of pollen.
But how can this be? Hayfever, and all of the other trappings of seasonal conjunctivitis, entered the deep hibernating slumber of winter with all of the other plants. Why do your eyes continue to burn even on the coldest snowy nights?
Unfortunately, the eyes are very finicky organs that thrive in a very specific climate. And you, our perpetually itchy bleary-eyed reader, appear to be suffering from an acute case of Winter Dry Eye. You read that right. Even in winter, your eyes aren’t safe from seasonal changes. In fact, winter in most parts of the world actually provides the perfect conditions to cause dry eyes.
But never fear! The doctors of Clarkson Eyecare have put together this helpful guide to help return the twinkle to your eye faster than Al Roker can say “low pressure system.”
What is Dry Eye?
We often take our eyes for granted without realizing just how complex a piece of bio-chemical machinery they are. The primary function of the eye is to take in light and transmit those signals to the brain to produce the sensation we call “sight.” However, our eyes also possess many complex secondary and tertiary systems designed to keep our eyes functioning without interruption for as long as possible. For example, our eyes contain a mucous membrane with a tear film designed to keep the eyes moist and clear of debris and irritants that might otherwise obstruct our vision or harm the cornea.
Part of this system is our tear film which, in a healthy eye, is regularly replenished. It contains three layers, a mucous layer closest to the surface of the eye, a middle aqueous layer containing mostly water and electrolytes, and an outer lipid oil layer that keeps the rest of the tear film from evaporating. Through a series of meibomian and lacrimal glands, our body performs a delicate balancing act to ensure the composition of the tear film remains the same. If there’s fluctuation in any of the layers, tears become less effective and your eyes no longer stay lubricated. This is when dry eye occurs. This is also where dry eye gets its most ironic symptom: Excessive watering. When your tear film begins to degrade, your body freaks out and attempts to respond by making more and more tears. This causes the eyes to water. However, because these tears are still of low quality, it doesn’t solve the dry eye problem.
Dry eye can be caused by a myriad of environmental factors, such as changes in humidity, temperature, the presence of wind and smoke, or excessive dust. It can also result from genetic factors or autoimmune diseases such as ocular rosacea which can constantly degrade the tear film of the eye.
Symptoms include:
A persistent itching or burning sensation
Red eyes
Excessive watering
Blurred vision
The presence of stringy mucous
A feeling of eye fatigue or strain
Why is Winter Such a Common Season for Dry Eyes?
Environmental factors play the biggest role in a lot of dry eye cases. And where winter is concerned, most places have conditions that are the exact opposite of what healthy eyes like. Both outdoor and indoor climates play a role.
Low Humidity
The winter months tend to be much drier than spring and summer. The air is much less humid (contains less moisture). In nature, elements of higher saturation are always trying to escape to areas of lower saturation. When humidity is low, it means the air can hold more water. Your healthy, perfectly balanced tear films are a prime target as their contact with low-humid environments causes tear evaporation to speed up. As moisture is siphoned away from your eyes into the surrounding air, the tear film degrades and your eyes dry out.
Winter Winds
Not only is winter typically a season of low humidity; it’s also a season of strong winds. Similar to if you decided to ride a motorcycle without any sort of visor or eye protection, or if you decided to stick your face next to a desk fan for an extended period of time, facing into strong, dry winds when you’re out and about can quickly dry out your eyes and leave them with that gritty, itchy feeling.
Indoor Heating
As outdoor temperatures plummet, we tend to crank the thermostat up. There’s nothing wrong with that. After all, that warm and toasty feeling you get as you relax all bundled up indoors during the winter months is a seasonal joy many people look forward to every year. However, hot air quickly removes the moisture in the air. This creates yet another low-humidity environment for your poor peepers to deal with.
More Screens, Less Blinking
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but that brand-new season of your favorite show that just dropped on Netflix is so delightful. In fact, it was so delightful you decided to spend your entire Saturday binging it. No shame there, 70% of all Americans do it. But did you know that you tend to blink less when you focus intently on something like a TV, tablet, or computer screen? Blinking is essential to lubricating our eyes. It’s how we refresh our tearfilm. So when the cold winter months force us indoors with nothing but time on our hands and that brand new tablet you got as a gift, it’s the perfect recipe for dry eye.
How to Prevent Winter Dry Eye Syndrome
While winter dry eye is common, it’s fairly easy to treat at home. From humidifiers and artificial tears to compresses, there are plenty of ways to get relief.
Use a Humidifier
We’ll start with possibly the most helpful solution first. As we discussed above, a large chunk of dry eye woes in winter are compounded by low humidity. Whether it’s the freezing cold outdoors or the toasty hot indoors, nowhere is safe for your eyes. Enter the humidifier. Easy to use, widely available, and relatively cheap to obtain, the humidifier pumps water vapor into your home to increase the amount of moisture in the air. With more water in the air around you, the evaporation rate of your tears will slow, giving your eyes a much-needed reprieve. With a humidifier, you can ensure the only thing baking in hot temperatures this winter are delicious holiday treats!
Wear Sunglasses Outdoors
The sun may not be as bright, but winter is still the perfect time to break out a pair of shades. Sunglasses offer a fantastic windbreak to shield your eyes from blustery winter winds. So no matter how hard Jack Frost decides to blow, your eyes will remain comfortable and your vision clear.
In addition to protecting you from rough winds, sunglasses also have the benefit of preventing snow blindness! Snow blindness, or photokeratitis occurs when the UV rays from the sun reflect off of snow and ice. Without proper protection, this reflected sunlight can cause serious damage to your eyes. However, wearing sunglasses is one of the best ways to prevent this.
Use Warm Compresses
Along the edges of your eyelid are what are known as meibomian glands. These are responsible for producing the oily lipid outer layer of your tear film. They can easily get clogged or irritated which can decrease production. This leads to watery tears that evaporate far too quickly.
To fix this, take a washcloth and dampen it with warm, not hot, water. Gently place it over your eyes and relax for 10 or so minutes. This can both help unclog meibomian glands and stimulate lipid layer production. It also feels quite nice and is a great excuse to take a break during the day and give your eyes a rest.
Remember to Blink!
Okay, we admit this tip sounds like something an alien hiding out in disguise on Earth would write on a post-it note to help them keep from being discovered. But blinking is serious business! The longer you take in between blinks, the less refreshed your tear film is. Your body slows blinking naturally when focusing on screens, so you’re going to have to remind yourself to take a break every once in a while and do it. Clarkson Eyecare recommends using the 20/20/20 rule. This states you should look away from screens every 20 minutes, at something 20 feet away, for a total of 20 seconds. That’s all it takes to help your body maintain a semblance of its natural blinking rhythm even if you’re deeply engrossed in getting caught up on the latest season of Squid Games.
Apply Artificial Tears
At the end of the day, if your tears just aren’t cooperating, it might be time to bring in some outside help in the form of artificial tears. There are plenty of over-the-counter remedies like Refresh or Systane which will both provide you with relief and help restore balance to your eyes to manage winter dry eye.
When to See a Doctor
For most people, the at-home remedies discussed above should help take care of your dry eye so you can enjoy your winter with comfortable eyes and clear vision. However, if it doesn’t clear up after trying a few DIY treatments, it may be time to see an eye doctor. If your dry eye symptoms continue to persist or get worse, seek an eye care professional right away. If at any time you start experiencing sharp pain in your eye or a significant, sudden decrease in vision, you need to get medical assistance. These can be signs of serious eye conditions that could potentially harm your vision if left untreated.
See your eye doctor if you experience:
Continuing symptoms of dry eye after trying at-home treatments
Worsening symptoms, including red, swollen eyes
Sharp or extreme pain
A sudden drop in vision
Visit Clarkson Eyecare to Give Winter Dry Eye the Cold Shoulder
Winter is a time of snowy delights and joyful holiday get-togethers. While it doesn’t boast all the pretty colors of spring and fall, winter still has beautiful sights worth seeing. Nobody wants to spend the season trying to squint through a waterfall of tears while rubbing their eyes. If you find yourself doing just that when winter rolls around, you may be suffering from Winter Dry Eye.
This irritating seasonal condition is usually treatable with a series of at-home remedies and slight lifestyle adjustments. However, if you find your symptoms are still hanging around like an annoying relative after a holiday party that just won’t take the hint, Clarkson Eyecare may be able to help provide some relief. Our practices are staffed by highly trained and experienced eye doctors who specialize in the treatment of dry eye.
Find your nearest Clarkson Eyecare and schedule your dry eye appointment today!