The Negative Effects of Winter Show in the Eyes!

With the cooling of the weather, there is a noticeable increase in respiratory diseases and rheumatic complaints. In these days when the sun is replaced by snow and wind, another organ affected by adverse weather conditions is our eyes. Kudret Eye İstanbul Chief Physician Op. Dr Nail Sönmez gave information about the things to be considered to protect our eyes in winter;

Winter; The favourite season of eye infections!

Op. Dr. Nail Sönmez; "In the winter months, we all struggle with diseases such as flu and colds from time to time. Our invisible enemies viruses and harmful bacteria lie at the basis of complaints such as fever, difficulty swallowing, cough, sneezing, sore throat and ear pain. These germs threaten our respiratory tract and also pose a risk to our eyes. We frequently encounter eye inflammations, which we medically call conjunctivitis, in winter months due to virus or bacterial infections. In diseases such as colds, flu, tonsillitis, harmful microbes that affect the respiratory tract can easily infect the eyes and cause conjunctivitis. Eye inflammations can also occur due to allergic and chemical causes. Increased air pollution in winter months, allergy to house dust mites and mould fungi, and spending more time indoors due to cold can trigger allergic conjunctivitis. Another cause of eye inflammation is dry eye. Intense exposure to wind, loss of moisture from indoor heating systems and dry air damage the eyes. Conjunctivitis is characterised by symptoms such as watering, discharge, crusting, redness, itching, stinging and swelling. When any of these symptoms are observed, it is absolutely necessary to consult an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. An appropriate treatment plan is determined by the specialist according to the type and course of conjunctivitis."

Snowy Weather is the Enemy of the Eye!

Kudret Eye İstanbul Chief Physician Op. Dr Nail Sönmez drew attention to the importance of using sunglasses in winter with the following words: "In winter, it is necessary to use sunglasses as in summer. The decrease in air temperature does not mean that the harmful rays of the sun lose their effect. Especially snowy weather poses a risk for our eyes. Snow causes reflection of harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. Those who work outdoors, those who spend hours outside playing snow ball, those who are engaged in snow sports should be careful. Skiers should definitely use protective goggles. The rays reflected from the snow can burn the cornea, a condition known as snow blindness. Exposure to intense sunlight invites pterygium and cataract."

Useful Tips for Your Eye Health

Kudret Eye İstanbul Chief Physician Op. Dr. Nail Sönmez shared his suggestions for our daily life to protect the eyes in winter; "Low body resistance in winter months, decrease in serotonin, the happiness hormone, and increase in stress in closed, dark weather increase the risk of disease for our sensitive organ, our eyes. We can protect our eyes with some simple practices in winter."

• Pay attention to hand hygiene in winter as always and wash your hands frequently. Many respiratory diseases are contagious. By touching, scratching, rubbing, etc., which we often do without realising it, we can cause germs to spread to our eyes and endanger the health of others.
• Avoid rubbing and scratching your eyes.
• Prefer paper tissues that you can use and throw away in cases such as colds and flu. It is important in terms of hygiene that the tissues you use are not reused for the second time, pay attention to this.
• Paper towels should be preferred instead of cotton towels, especially in cases such as colds and flu. Common towels should not be used. If we are using cotton towels, it is necessary to separate our hand towel, face towel and have a special towel to dry our eyes.
• Moisturise the air in your home or workplace to prevent dry eyes. The water that you will place on the radiator or leave in a suitable area in a container will do the job.
• Contact lenses cause the eyes to dry out more quickly. Especially those who use computers for long hours are more affected by dry eyes. If you consult your doctor, he/she will give you appropriate eye drops to relieve dry eye.
• Wear sunglasses even in winter to protect against harmful rays from the sun. Choose glasses that block 99% to 100% of UVA and UVB rays. Especially skiers and those who work outdoors in the snow should choose glasses that protect the eyes against sun rays coming from the sides, from above and from below by reflection.
• No symptom or complaint is of minor importance. Hearsay information may cause an existing disease to progress and another disease to occur. The first person you should consult for complaints about your eyes should be a specialist physician.