Taking care of your eyes is extremely important for your overall health. It’s easy to look out for them during the summer when the sun’s out and everything is bright. But most people neglect to take care of their eyes during the winter, thinking that just because it’s cloudy, there’s no need to safeguard one’s eyes. However, that is one mistake that can end up costing your eyesight in the long run. To prevent that from happening, here are 4 important tips to keep with you to protect your eyes during the winter.

1. Wearing UV-B Shades on Cloudy Winter Days

Any eye doctors in utah will tell you that even though the sun is behind the clouds, that doesn’t mean that there’s less UV-B light. These powerful rays can even penetrate clouds, putting your eyes at risk. This problem can be compounded by the fact that the rays are reflected off the snow on the ground, making it significantly brighter than the light that is reflected off the water. In fact, sunlight reflected off snow can lead to snow blindness, which is a painful condition to recover from.

2. Practicing Good Hygiene

Conjunctivitis is actually more prevalent during the winter. It’s spread through contact with an infected person since it is caused by a virus or bacteria. That’s why it’s important to wash your hands frequently after going out and avoid touching your eyes as much as possible until you’ve washed your hands. If you do develop conjunctivitis, you should seek treatment from your eye doctor immediately.

3. Using Eye Drops

During the winter, the air tends to be drier, which can increase eye irritation. This can also be exacerbated by the warm air that’s being blown through your home by your furnace. Try not to keep your vents aimed directly at you and add a humidifier to your room to keep the air moist. You could also try using artificial tears every now and then throughout the day to keep your eyes moist. Artificial tears could easily alleviate any dry itchiness you might be experiencing in your eyes. Just be sure to speak with a doctor first if you’re already on any other kind of medication for your eyes.

4. Visiting Your Optometrist

It never hurts to make a regular appointment with your optometrist in order to keep an accurate record of your eyes’ health. Your vision can be tested, determine if there are any new developments, or perform any preventative screening that would detect any early problems. Your optometrist would also be able to recommend any solutions for any problems you might have so that you can take care of your eye health on your own.

Don’t take your eyes for granted, especially during the winter when driving on slick roads can be treacherous enough. You need your vision on your side to see where you’re going and not make any mistakes. So don’t leave things up to chance. Consider making an appointment with your optometrist as soon as possible and see what solutions can be offered when it comes to safeguarding your eyes for the future.