Winter’s harsh weather can wreak havoc on everything from your skin, nails, and hair to your eyes! Here are a few ways to protect and relieve your eyes of winter’s harsh recourse.

With the weather acting a little wacky after the new year, some parts of the United States are experiencing harsh winds and arctic cold temperatures with snow; while others are enjoying warm weather with plenty of sun. This winter is sending mixed signals all through the country but the results of winter are the same: dry, itchy eyes as well as dry hair, nails, and skin. There’s just something about winter that tends to dry everything out - even in the most humid of climates. Fear not! There are ways of combating winter dry eyes - no matter where you call home during the winter-time.

Since winter weather can really wreak havoc on our eyes, it’s important to have a few things handy: eye drops, eyeglasses, extra contact lenses, and sunglasses. You probably think sunglasses sound like a dumb idea but if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, you may not realize that the sun’s ultraviolet rays can do more damage from their reflection against the snow than sitting in the sun on a beach. Since the rays can bounce off the snow and into your eyes, it’s extremely important to wear sunglasses with ultraviolet protection when you’re outside in the snow. For this reason, both professional and amateur skiers have specialized goggles to protect their eyes from harsh winds and the UV rays that could impair their vision.

Since dry eyes usually result in your eyes over-producing tears, it’s always good to have dry-eye relieving eye drops on hand. Since winter’s harsh winds and dry climate can dry out your eyes, these re-wetting drops can really come in handy. Plus, the bottle is relatively small and easy to carry. You can use them whenever you need to. If you have a pre-existing dry eye condition, it’s recommended that you speak to your doctor because dry eyes can cause an over-production of tears during the winter time. Since no one really wants to walk around like they are crying all the time, it’s a smart idea to ask your doctor for a medical recommendation because re-wetting drops may not be the best answer for you.

If you wear contact lenses, make sure you keep an extra pair with you at all times - just in case. Since dry eyes can lead to contact lenses popping out at inopportune times, it’s always smart to keep an extra pair with you. If the idea of taking another pair with you doesn’t seem feasible, at the very least you should carry your eyeglasses with you. Your eyeglasses will help protect your eyes from winter’s dryness and they’ll come in handy if you lose a contact or two.

Winter can be a harsh season, even if the climate is warm - so make sure you have your eyeglasses frames with you at all times as well as an extra copy of your eyeglasses prescription. Even if they are just a pair of cheap glasses, it’s better than walking around blind. The tools you need to combat and relieve dry eyes are at your finger tips. When all else fails, take a little "you" time and relax with some cucumber slices over your eyes before you put your eye glasses back on.