Winter Weather and Contact Lens

Wearing contact lenses is a great option for many people, but as the seasons change, so do the challenges for contact lens wearers. By learning more about how the winter weather may affect your eyes and wearing contacts, you can make a few adjustments to continue to wear your lenses all year long. 

How does the cold affect the eyes?

Although you may feel like your eyeballs are freezing during the coldest winter days, they are not actually becoming frozen. Still, the cold can affect your eyes. The cold air is often drying, which makes symptoms worse for people that already have dry eyes. The winter winds can also increase dryness.

If you love to sit in front of a warm fire or have the heater in your car blowing towards your face, that may also lead to eye dryness.

Some people have eye allergies that become worse in the winter. For instance, if you spend more time inside around indoor allergens, such as dust and pet dander, it may increase your eye allergy symptoms. 
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How winter weather affects wearing lenses

If you wear contacts, the above effects of the winter weather may cause more irritation than normal. For example, wearing contacts may make your eyes dry. When you add to that cold and windy weather, you might find your eyes drier than usual during the winter.

The reduced moisture due to the harsh winter conditions may make your dry eyes have a gritty sensation even though nothing is in the eyes.  The discomfort sometimes causes people to stop wearing the lenses. Research in Clinical Optometry found that somewhere between 10 and 50 percent of people that wear contacts stop wearing them within three years due to discomfort.  
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Tips for winter contact wearing

Just because the temperature drops and the wind picks up doesn’t mean you have to put a hold on contact lenses wearing. Consider some of the tips below to wear lenses comfortably during the cold months. 

Use eye drops: Because of the increase in dryness, it helps to add some moisture to your eyes. Stock up on artificial tears and eye drops that are compatible with contact wearing.

Drink plenty of water: Make sure you drink plenty of liquids. Staying hydrated from the inside is also helpful to make sure you have adequate tear production. Although drinks, such as hot chocolate and coffee, may warm you up, water is your best bet.

Avoid direct heat on your face: One of the first things we often do when we get inside our car in the winter is crank up the heater. Try to avoid aiming the heat directly at your face. The same goes for sitting in front of the fireplace or furnace vent. The heat source pointed directly at your face can dry your eyes out quickly.

Wash your hands: You should make it a habit to always wash your hands before touching your contacts, but in the winter months, cold and flu season may increase your risk of getting sick.

Wear sunglasses: Wearing sunglasses outside during the day is important all year long. Sunglasses provide protection against UV rays, but during the winter, glasses may also block cold winds that contribute to dry eyes.

Give your eyes a break: If your eyes become dry, consider alternating between contact lenses and glasses. Also, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations about how long you can wear your lenses. 

We hope that the above tips help you wear your contacts during the winter months. If you have any questions or concerns, we are happy to help. Also, if you would like to ask whether an appointment with one of our eye doctors would be appropriate at this time, call our office at 508-746-8600.