The Cold & Our Eyes
Burrrrr! Shiver, Shiver!!!!! – Very Cold – Oh My God!!!
Hello Family,
It is quite cold – shivering has become a norm nowadays, but relax; after the shivers will come the best climate yet. Just chill.
Let me address the cold weather and its effect on our Eyes. I will also revisit Contact Lens Care and the wearing schedule in this edition as many contact-lens wearers experience increased ocular dryness and discomfort during this frosty season. So; let’s get cracking.
It is quite common and okay to experience drier eyes in the cold season. Dry eyes are a common phenomenon early in the morning or whilst experiencing a cool breeze is in the air. Dry eyes need to be managed well otherwise the condition can deteriorate into a more irritative complaint. Stinging or Scratchy feeling, Itchy and watery eyes, redness and perhaps blurry vision are some of the symptoms one might experience in this weather. Tears – the natural lubricants assist us in managing this condition. The more the blinks, the more the tears and therefore more relief.
Did you know?
Our Tears are made up of a mixture of fatty oils, mucus and water. They create a thin film that covers the surface of your eyes and help protect infection or damage from external factors.
Our Tears consist of three layers:
The Lipid Layer which is oil based and retards evaporation.
The Aqueous Layer which contains Salts & Proteins to maintain wettability and provide nutrients to the eyes and..
The Mucin Layer which coats the surface of the eye and facilitates other layers to form a film that protects eyes from getting an infection etc.
Wow! Isn’t that a miracle on its own?? We must appreciate and thank Divinity for having created a perfect lacrimal system to ensure that our eyes remain wet and provide wettability for an average 75 years of our existence on earth.
If a good flow of tears is absent, the underlying tissue becomes harder, does not absorb the tears and we start experiencing teary eyes. Sometimes the accumulation of tears creates a tears meniscus at the base of our eyes which then causes a continuous and irritative blurry vision. This is especially true for people who have had ocular surgery, trauma, hormonal imbalance etc.
So seek advice from professionals if you experience the above symptoms during this weather.
You can also visit the link of my forum – Volume 4 for a wide-scope understanding of contact lens care.
