From autumn onwards, with the arrival of wind and cold weather, an increase in cases of dry eye is observed.
Why is dry eye more common in the winter months?
The tear film has the important function of cleaning the surface of the eye, which becomes soiled by wind, dust and smoke, and of preventing irritation of the cornea (the transparent layer of the eye).
Dry-eye disease, which affects around 10% of the population, is encountered more frequently and more severely in the autumn and winter months. Exposure to dry, cold and windy weather during these months triggers the condition. In addition, air pollution and excessive air-conditioning in the enclosed environments where we spend a great deal of time further reduce the moisture levels in our eyes.
What are the symptoms of dry eye?
In cases of dry eye, symptoms such as burning, stinging, redness and a gritty sensation may develop in the eyes. In more severe cases, vision loss may also be seen. Vision loss may be due to irregularity in the corneal layer, the formation of spots, or scarring of the cornea following eye infections.
Recommendations to prevent dry eye:
1. Protect your eyes in windy weather: Wind can evaporate the tears on the eye’s surface and cause dry eye. To this end, you can make use of wide-frame glasses in windy weather.
2. Drink plenty of water: When insufficient water is consumed, tear production is reduced. Drinking at least two litres of water a day is recommended.
3. Pay attention to your Omega-3 intake: Omega-3 intake has been shown to reduce the symptoms of dry eye. The lipid layer that forms the outermost layer of healthy tears is supported by Omega-3, which improves the quality of the tear film. Foods rich in Omega-3 include certain fish (mackerel, tuna, salmon and sardines), as well as chia seeds, hazelnuts, walnuts, red meat, eggs, soya and purslane.
4. Regulate the humidity in enclosed environments: Take care to ventilate enclosed environments frequently, to keep the humidity at around 45%, and to ensure that the air from the air-conditioning does not blow directly onto your face.
5. Make use of artificial-tear drops: Moisten your eyes with artificial-tear drops as recommended by your ophthalmologist.
6. Rest your eyes in front of screens: When using a computer, we blink less frequently than normal. This increases evaporation from the surface of the eye. As a precaution, rest your eyes every 40 minutes with a 40-second break when using a screen.
7. If you wear contact lenses, you must be more careful: When the tear-film layer becomes thinner due to dry eye, friction between the contact lens and the cornea increases and dry-eye complaints intensify. When the material, base curve and diameter of the contact lens are not selected to suit the patient, or when the lens is kept on the eye for too long or left in the eye overnight, dry-eye complaints become even more pronounced. For this reason, in your use of contact lenses you should follow your doctor’s recommendations.
In conclusion:
As dry eye progresses, vision loss can develop, and sometimes this can become permanent. For this reason, it is important that cases are treated in time. In particular, patients with vision-related problems should consult an ophthalmologist without much delay.
Prepared by the Editorial Board of the Eye Foundation Hospitals.
