Time to get ahead of seasonal dry eye change!
It happens every year to so many of us. We feel better during the summer, and maybe we're just so relieved not to have to do as much to our eyes, but however it happens, we slack off, and we also just get used to things being better. Then we get blindsided (again) with the impact of fall allergy season and, worse, the heat coming on.
Get ahead of it. Don't let it take you by surprise or make you think you're 'getting worse'. Environmental impact on dry eye symptoms is huge. So act preventively, not reactively.
Best tips for heading into seasonal change:
- Hydration: It really does matter. Don't forget to drink more water.
- Preventive lubrication: Sometimes it's better to be guided by a schedule rather than waiting till you're uncomfortable. Keep up instead of catching up.
- Lid care: If you slack off when you're feeling better, do the smart thing and pick it up again before you're forced to. Pamper your peepers with good eyelid hygiene and compresses.
- Protective eyewear: Dust off the moisture chamber glasses, especially if you spend a lot of time on the computer or in low humidity environments.
- Night protection: Time to have these ready as well. Maybe over the summer, you could get by with just drops, gel or ointment, but many people need more protection during sleep when indoor humidity drops.
- Humidification: If you stopped using it when the weather warmed up, it's time to clean it out to have it ready and start watching humidity levels to see when you should start using it again.
- Fall cleaning: Time to go through those drawers... throw away all expired products, replace the foam pads on your Tranquileyes, the rice part of your rice baggy, the foam lining on your 7Eye glasses, and anything else that is getting old and icky.