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(I-MED Pharma)
Author’s Note: Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” is a perfect listening companion to this read.
Dry eye disease can be a chronic condition with discomforting symptoms occurring year-round. Because certain environmental factors can affect how the eyes feel and contribute to disease progression, listed below are some suggestions for managing dry eye during the four seasons.
Spring
Springtime is upon us. The birds sing, the trees awaken, and the plants bloom. This time of year is associated with renewal and revival as new seedlings sprout, hibernating animals awake, and dormant plants grow. It is also high in pollen, triggering allergies in many people, which can cause discomforting eye symptoms such as swelling, redness, itching, and tearing.
Spring cleaning in the form of ocular hygiene is important for maintaining ocular health overall, as it can help break the dry eye cycle, and a daily ocular hygiene routine can also help during allergy season by removing pollen, debris, and reducing bioburden on the eyelids and lashes.
Thunderstorms, a herald of spring, are common this time of year, and pressure changes associated with the changing weather can trigger headaches for some people. To increase comfort, try using a therapeutic hot & cold eye mask for dry eyes, which can help alleviate headaches, sinus pressure, and tension when used cold. Alternatively, use this mask’s moist heat therapy to help liquefy the oils in the glands to enhance flow, and when followed by a daily ocular cleansing, forms part of a stepped approach to managing dry eye disease.
Summer
During the summer months when the sun blazes, the air is hot and dry. Many people love to be outdoors, or they try to escape the heat by staying in air-conditioned environments or near cooling fans.
Whether outside or inside, it is important to protect the health of our eyes during high heat seasons. When outside, be prudent and wear sunglasses with UV protection, as the sun is a risk factor for developing cataracts. When inside, there are dry eye management solutions to combat symptoms that can be exacerbated by fans and air-conditioning systems.
Continue a daily ocular hygiene routine by using our all-natural, water-based cleansing spray to clean and hydrate the lids and lashes. Use it throughout the day for a refreshing cleanse as needed during the hot summer months.
Keep up a healthy and balanced diet by incorporating recipes with omega-3s in your cooking schedule. For those active summer days, when travel and outdoor play is more common, try taking our omega-3 capsule as it is an easy and convenient way to get the proper amounts of omega-3 essential fatty acids while busy and on the go.
To escape from the summer heat, we often use fans and air conditioning to help cool off. When blown directly across the face, the moving air can increase tear film evaporation, leaving the ocular surface exposed and the eyes feeling dry. Try using our preservative-free eye drops to coat and protect your eyes and relieve discomforting dry eye symptoms.
Autumn
It’s time for fall harvests and celebrating with good food, drink, and family. This time of year is also when seasonal allergies strike again, so remember to clean your lids and lashes daily with our effective and gentle ocular hygiene cleansers to remove pollen and debris.
Cooler temperatures and gusts of wind are more common in fall, which can be drying for your eyes. Hydrate and protect your ocular surface from environmental factors with our high-quality eye drops, and as an added bonus, they may even improve your vision as quality of vision is partially dependent on the tear film.
Autumn is associated with the start of a new school year for students, and with less daylight hours and more time spent indoors, this can mean an increase in the number of hours spent staring at a screen. Keep your eyes well lubricated with our viscoadaptive artificial tears and practice the 20-20-20 rule to give your eyes a break.
Winter
Winter brings harsh winds, icy snow, and extreme cold, so this is the time to get cozy indoors. While snuggling up under a blanket, try using our therapeutic eye mask’s hot therapy to help relieve symptoms associated with MGD, blepharitis, and dry eye disease.
With the harsh winter weather, your eyes may need maximum relief from dry eye symptoms, so take advantage of the longer nights and use our long-lasting eye ointment for dry eyes, which is recommended for night-time use.
Less daylight hours also mean less vitamin D is absorbed from sunlight, so take our omega-3 liquid supplement to get the recommended daily dose of vitamin D3 with the additional health benefits associated with GLA, and help relieve your dry eyes.
The Four Seasons
Schedule an appointment with an eye care professional or at a dry eye clinic near you and ask for I-MED Pharma’s products to protect your eyes year-round. If you are looking for a long-lasting treatment solution, ask your eye care professional about the E>Eye with IRPL® technology to treat dry eyes due to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), which is a leading cause of dry eye. This long-lasting solution for dry eye disease is Health Canada approved, takes only a few minutes, and leads to an improvement in the function of the meibomian glands in a very short amount of time.
Speak to your eye care professional to see if the E>Eye or any other I-MED Pharma product is the right fit for your specific dry eye problem. No matter the season, we make eye health a priority, and so should you!
