Eye Safety During The Winter Months
by Austin Chang, M.D.

This month’s focus on eye safety during the winter months is my first of many articles for League City News that I hope will provide you with insightful information on eye care. My name is Dr. Austin Chang. I am an ophthalmologist from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston and recently joined the staff of physicians at The Eye Clinic of Texas.

While the arrival of winter brings holiday cheer, it also presents unique situations that put your eyes at risk. There are a number of precautions that you can take during this time of year to ensure eye health and safety.

We live in a region of the country that is usually very humid, but the cold temperatures of the winter months cause us to use our heating systems, making our homes relatively dry. So, we find ourselves needing hand creams and lip protection. And, for those of you who tend to have dry eyes, and for some who wear contact lenses, the reduced humidity can cause real discomfort.

The easiest solution for dry eyes is to use over-the-counter lubricating eye drops that are available in many forms in drug stores. The best form of lubricating drops is one that has no preservative. These drops come in single-use containers and are a bit more expensive, but they work very well.

For those of you planning ski vacations over the next few months, in addition to caring for dry eyes in the less humid climates, you need to take extra caution to protect your eyes from increased sun exposure at higher altitudes. Spending the day on the slopes, in the bright sun, can take a real toll on your eyes and it is important to protect them from too much sun exposure. There are a variety of goggles available on the market to wear over your glasses while on the slopes. There are even prescription goggles available that allow you ski without your glasses. In addition to protecting your eyes from the sun, the goggles are also a good way to prevent general eye injuries while skiing the slopes.

But, protective eyewear is not just for ski vacations. While Christmas trees with all of their ornaments and lights are appealing to the eye, they cause numerous eye injuries each year. Many individuals get poked in the eye when decorating their trees or bending down to pick up gifts. Protective eyewear should be worn.

Whenever an eye injury does occur, if there is any pain, it is important to go to your eye doctor or to the emergency room as soon as possible. It is difficult for the average person to tell how badly an eye is damaged when it gets injured because it is so small and sensitive, and abrasions to the cornea can cause serious infections if left untreated.

Finally, the onset of winter also coincides with an increase in the use of tanning products that allow you to maintain a healthy glow throughout the holiday season. When possible, you should invest in self-tanning creams or use the tanning spray machines, which are less harmful to the body. However, if regular tanning beds are preferred, it is critical for you to wear the protective eyewear throughout the entire tanning session to avoid serious damage to the cornea.

For more information on how to protect your eyes during the winter months, or for general information on eye care services, contact me at The Eye Clinic of Texas at 281-332-3937 or via email at info@ecot.com.  Also, please feel free to email me any topic ideas that may be of interest to you in the coming months.

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