Cold Air, Dry Eyes

Now that Minnesota winter is well on its way, our eyes get to take on all the battles that the below zero temperatures bring. Our eyes are quickly irritated and dried in the winter months and Minnesota gets to experience four very cold months. Eye injuries occur in high winds, cold weather, and winter activities like skiing or snowmobiling. Some symptoms from cold temperature exposure include: eye pain, blurred vision, double vision, or sensitivity to light.

Also, frozen tears and dry eyes are not fun. Ever wonder why our eyes water in the cold weather? The cold air stimulates the production of tears to protect the eyes and acts as a lubricator. It’s actually a normal response that yes, can be annoying.

We strongly encourage that you use eye protection by using goggles with UV protection while skiing and other winter activities. This is crucial if you want to decrease the risk of injury and eliminate the issue of dry eyes when flying through the cold air.

For light sensitivity, put on those sunglasses! It is perfectly healthy and normal to wear sunglasses during the cold winter days, it’s still the same UV rays as the summer. We guarantee you won’t get any funny looks!

Dry eyes and contact wearing may be the worst combination in the winter. Your contact lenses soak up the moisture. It may be worth looking into finding some rewetting drops to keep your eyes moist!

For the most obvious and easy tip to keep your eyes healthy and hydrated, water! We promise your eyes will thank you!

For any other questions related to dry eyes or light sensitivity in any season, stop by our office and we would be happy to answer them!