Snow and Eyes

Now that Halloween and November 5 are well behind us, we might be confident that the worst of the year’s holiday-themed ocular threats are out of the way. But that doesn’t mean we should be taking our eye off the ball – if you will – as winter sets in. 

The College of Optometrists has issued some “timely advice to help the public to protect their vision and eye health this winter.” People may notice, for example, that they need to wear their glasses more, especially if they are older. “This is because when there is less light available, your pupil expands, which reduces the eye’s depth of focus, and means that you notice blurriness,” explains the College’s Clinical Adviser, Denise Voon. 

Good advice for the layperson. But I have to say I found the next two suggestions somewhat obvious. To combat the effects of the dark, Voon says you could put a lamp “near the chair where you sit to read,” and, crucially, “turn it on as soon as it is getting dark.” 

(But then I remembered that my old nan would have genuinely benefited from the advice. When I used to visit her on winter afternoons, she’d be sitting there in her favorite chair, reading a Danielle Steel novel in almost total darkness. I’d switch on the light and she’d say, “Ooh, that’s better!”)

Other tips include wearing sunglasses on sunny winter days, especially while driving. “Snow and ice are reflective, so the sun’s rays can reach your eyes from below as well as above,” Voon explains. “The low sun in winter can be dazzling...” And dry eye sufferers may find their condition exacerbated by central heating. So, they could use a humidifier or place a bowl of water near the radiator. Failing that, of course, they could consult their local optometrist about suitable eye drops…

Perhaps more importantly for those of you who long since realized that turning on a light helps combat the darkness, these tips and tricks have been assembled on a poster and shareable assets that you can download from the College’s website. Your patients may well thank you for shedding light on what might be considered common sense.