How To Keep Your Eyes Protected
During the winter months, you've got to protect yourself from the cold. But that doesn't just mean keeping your body warm, and your toes and fingers covered, it means protecting everything, including your eyes.
Here's a few ways to protect your eyes in the winter and keep them comfy all year round:
- Wear polarized sunglasses. You know when you see the two different versions, polarized and un-polarized, and of course the un-polarized are much cheaper. There's a reason. The sun is actually reflected off the snow can burn your cornea in the winter. You need to be particularly careful if you are skiing, snowboarding, because UV radiation exposure increases 4 to 5 percent for every 1,000 feet above sea level.
- Use eyedrops. Cold, dry air can irritate your eyes, and indoor heaters are really harsh on your eyes as well, because they eliminate moisture. I have these really great over-the-counter preservative-free artificial tears, you can find them at any drug store, and they work great and right away!
- Drink water. I'm sure you've heard time and time again that you need to drink water to stay hydrated. Well, that's for the inside of your body and the outside. Water is great and essential for every part of you, including your eyes.
- Take breaks from working at your computer. If you're someone whose job is primarily sitting in front of a screen, there's a good chance you could be suffering from dry eyes, or perhaps even some other problems. You could get some gunnar glasses, those help a lot for people who work with computers. The more time you spend in front of the computer, the more dry and irritated your eyes can become.
It's really important to always take care of your eyes, after all, you only get one pair! For years, I wore glasses and contacts, and honestly, I wasn't the greatest contact lens wearer on the planet, if we're being honest here. I fell asleep with them frequently, which is really bad. I also didn't change them as often as my doctor told me to.
It wasn't anything I put much thought into, until I started thinking about getting Lasik eye surgery. I realized just how important and precious my eyes are to me, and that I needed to care for them a lot better.
It really all hit home for me when I was having my Lasik eye surgery. Holy cow, there's a miracle happening here! My eyes are being transformed into perfect vision right now! From that point on, I promised myself that I would shape up and take great care of the only pair of eyes I'm ever going to have. It was absolutely imperative to my vision that my surgery healed correctly. I did everything that I could to make sure it did. Now, over three months later, I'm writing this with perfect 20/20 vision in both eyes. Something I haven't had on my own since I was a small child.
If you're considering Lasik eye surgery, I HIGHLY recommend it. It's truly one of the best decisions I have ever made. Dr. Kenyon at Eye Health Vision Centers is a miracle worker! He has years of experience and education and was the best choice for me.