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Doctors remind that dry eyes in winter are mostly related to dry air, cold air and long-term use of 3C. They should be improved through rest, protection, warm compresses and adequate sleep and avoiding rubbing the eyes.
The weather is getting colder, and many people are experiencing discomfort like dry eyes, pain and stinging eyes. Some people find that when they wake up in the morning, their eyes are so dry that they cannot open; Some office workers stare at computers all day, and their eyes begin to hurt and their vision becomes blurry in the afternoon; There are also people who lie in bed at night, scrolling on their mobile phones and watching TV shows, and even though they are not crying, their eyes fill with tears unconsciously. Chinese medicine practitioner Xu Weiyi said that in winter, the temperature drops, the air is dry, with cold air and prolonged use of 3C products, the loss of water in the eyes accelerates, and the discomfort of dry eyes becomes more obvious.
Xu Weiyi said that people in outpatient clinics are often troubled by dry eyes, especially office workers who use computers for a long time and young people who can’t live without their mobile phones every day. For example, office workers enter the office early in the morning and begin staring at computers, sitting for several hours in meetings, responding to messages and processing documents. It is not until the afternoon that they notice that their eyes are dry, sore, and even have the sensation of a foreign object. There are people who ride motorcycles to commute every day and the cold wind stings their eyes in winter. After returning home, his eyes start turning red and tears start flowing.
In addition, winter is also a popular season for watching TV dramas and scrolling on mobile phones. Many people have the habit of turning off the lights before going to bed and looking at their mobile phones while lying on the bed. He originally planned to watch only a few minutes, but inadvertently ended up watching it for half an hour or even more. If you focus on the screen for a long time, the number of blinks will unconsciously decrease, tears will not be evenly distributed, and your eyes will naturally feel dry.
It is worth noting that when the eyes are dry, tears do not come at all. Some people will shed tears all the time. This is because the eyes can produce reflex tears after being irritated, but it does not mean that the moisturizing function of the eyeball surface is normal.
In addition to the use of 3C products, the indoor environment in winter is also a factor that is easily overlooked. When the weather is cold, people become accustomed to lighting heaters or electric heaters. If the air outlet is directly towards the face, the tears on the eye surface will easily evaporate faster.
Xue Weiyi reminded that especially for office workers, staying in the air-conditioned environment for a long time, being busy with work, and forgetting to blink and drink water can easily lead to frequent dry eyes. Some people are also addicted to “rubbing their eyes” with their hands in an effort to relieve discomfort. However, bacteria from hands can enter their eyes and increase the risk of infection and irritation.
If you want to improve winter dry eyes, you don’t have to wait until you feel uncomfortable to deal with it. You can start making adjustments in some small places in your daily life.
It is recommended to follow the “20-20-20 rule”. Every 20 minutes of using a screen, look to a spot about 6 meters (20 feet) away for 20 seconds to give your eyes proper rest, and remember to blink completely and deliberately.
While riding a motorcycle in winter, the cold wind can directly irritate your eyes. It is advisable to wear a helmet, goggles or suitable windproof goggles to reduce irritation from wind, sand and cold air.
After returning home, you can use a clean, warm towel to apply to closed eyelids for about 5 to 10 minutes each time. The temperature should be warm, comfortable and not hot to relax the eye area and help the meibomian glands drain the oil.
When using a heater or electric heater, you should adjust the direction of the air outlet to avoid hot and cold air going directly into your eyes. You can also use a humidifier moderately to maintain comfortable humidity indoors.
