Winter Eye Care for Contact Wearers

(NewsUSA) - If you wear contact lenses, you cannot blame those tears when watching "It's a Wonderful Life" for the tenth time on emotions alone - winter weather and indoor heating can also leave you teary-eyed.

Dry indoor conditions, freezing outdoor temperatures and increased exposure to indoor allergens can irritate eyes during the winter months. Add wearing contact lenses into the mix, and winter can become downright uncomfortable.

But you don't have to stash your contacts until spring. Here are some tips to keep your eyes and your contact lenses healthy and comfortable all winter:

- Break out your sunglasses. Shades aren't just for summer -; when the sun bounces off snow and ice, it creates a very bright environment that can burn retinas. As you age, overexposure to UV rays can lead to cataracts, so it's important to protect your eyes now. Choose lenses that block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays.

Winter sports enthusiasts should purchase polycarbonate goggles to protect their eyes from glare. They help block cold, drying wind from your eyes.

- Use eye drops. Indoor heating can suck moisture from the air, drying out contacts. Use single-use rewetting drops to keep eyes lubricated. You might also want to limit the amount of time that you spend wearing contacts if you choose not to use rewetting drops. If that is not an option, take steps to make sure that your contacts stay clean and disinfected on a daily basis as this will help with the natural process of tears moisturizing contacts.

One company, Best Health, Inc. (www.lenscomfort.net), has developed the LensComfort Ultrasonic Cleaning, Disinfecting and Storage Unit, which uses ultrasound waves to boost the disinfecting and cleaning power of LensComfort Contact Lens Cleaning, Disinfecting & Storage Solution. The unit removes proteins, lipids and debris from gas-permeable, soft, disposable and specialty contact lenses in 15 minutes.

- Purchase a humidifier. To combat dry indoor air, use a humidifier in your bedroom. The humidifier will help reintroduce moisture into the air, lessening eye irritation. Staying hydrated will also help, so sip your chicken noodle and avoid alcoholic drinks, which can actually dehydrate eyes.

"Article By: NewsUSA"