With the temperature falling, Specsavers stores across Limerick are encouraging everyone to take care of themselves this winter Cold weather can have a big impact on our mood and our bodies – including our eyes and ears.
If you’re out for a wintery walk you may find that your eyes feel dry or begin to water or that your ears start to ache. The experts at Specsavers Crescent, Specsavers Castletroy and Specsavers Cruise Street explain what you can do to make things more comfortable.
John Harrington, Ophthalmic Director across all three Limerick stores says: ‘Dry eyes are very common in the winter months. The cold temperatures, dry air, and windy conditions outdoors – combined with the dry air indoors from our central heating – can cause our eyes to become drier as tears evaporate from the eye’s surface.
‘This can leave them feeling sore, scratchy, and gritty. It also isn’t uncommon for vision to become slightly blurred and in some cases, eyes can even become waterier.
‘Usually, glands in your eyelids secrete an oily substance that slows the evaporation of tears between blinks. When these glands don’t function properly, you may get dry patches on your eyes – known as dry eye syndrome. The patches become sore, and extra tears are produced as a reflex. This is the most likely cause of watery eyes.
‘While it may sound counter intuitive, lubricating eye drops are usually the best way to treat watery eyes because of dry eye syndrome. It is also best to avoid activities that aggravate your symptoms. If you have persistent watery eyes, it is always recommended to make an appointment to see your optometrist.’
Other things that might help alleviate symptoms when indoors is placing a bowl of water underneath your radiator to try to add a bit of humidity back into the air. It is also important to be aware of how much time you’re spending looking at screens. Always follow the 20:20:20 rule where you look up from your screen every 20 minutes at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
When it comes to our ears and hearing, Aimee Alperstein, Lead Audiologist, shares her top tips.
She says: ‘As our ears don’t have the same level of fat as elsewhere in the body it means they are less protected in the cold and can leave the nerves in the ears exposed and quite painful.
‘Cold weather can also trigger conditions such as tinnitus due to changes in our circulation due to the lower temperature. Others may experience ear infections, not because of the cold weather itself but because we’re more susceptible to infection during this time of year.
‘The best thing to do is to try and cover your ears with a hat or scarf when you go outside to keep them warm. Hearing aid users may also find that there is more condensation on their devices than usual so make sure you do your best to keep them clean and dry.’
A great gift idea for your friends and family who wear glasses, sunglasses or contact lenses, is a gift card from Specsavers. You can buy gift vouchers for any whole value between €1 and €250 and they can be used to buy prescription glasses, sunglasses, accessories, contact lenses and contact lens solutions. Great if you know someone with their eye on some designer specs or just need a contact lens top-up.
For more information about the services provided by Specsavers Limerick Cruises Street, speak to an expert on 061 312 811, for Specsavers Crescent Shopping Centre call 061 302 120 and for Specsavers Castletroy call 061 516 480. Visit www.specsavers.ie to make an appointment online.
