You should be looking after your eyes and making sure they are healthy all year round, sure, but as with many things, circumstances can sometimes change depending on the time of the year. Around the holidays, we might tend to drink a little more, party a little more, and eat a little more, which is great fun, but can cause some other unspoken issues!
This piece has been created to make you aware of some eye issues that you should watch out for this holiday season, so you can do your best to avoid them.
Keep Washing Your Hands
At this point, if this is not drilled into you anyway, we do not know where you have been for the past two years! Washing your hands is crucial for keeping germs and harmful bacteria out of our mouths, nose, ears, and eyes – basically anywhere it could make its way into the body and the bloodstream. It can be easy to have stayed up a little late at the Christmas party and feel yourself rubbing your eyes on the journey home, and if you have not washed your hands, then that is all of that bacterium you have picked up at the party going straight into your eyeballs. It is not nice to think about, but necessary to protect your eye health!
Do Not Sleep with Your Contacts In
Maybe you have had one too many or indulged hard in a festive feast and tried so hard to resist the urge to close your eyes but not quite managed it. Plenty of people can get away with having a little sleep in their contacts and avoid suffering from any grave consequences, with the worst thing to happen to be the contact sticking to their eyeball. That being said, it is definitely not worth the risk. Sleeping with contacts in can trap bacteria under the lens, which can cause all sorts of issues, some of which can lead to blindness.
Protect from Winter Sun
It is not always a grey and drizzly day when it is winter, and you might find yourself enjoying some strong sunshine in the colder months. Whipping out your prescription sunglasses is totally valid, but if you use contacts, why not opt for UV protection contact lenses? This can help protect your eyes against the harsh rays of the winter sun – some of which can be particularly strong when being reflected off snow.
Take Off Your Makeup
It can be really tempting to crawl into bed after a very long night with your mascara, eyeliner, and false eyelashes still firmly in place, but this is not only not great for your skin, it is not great for your eyes either. Your makeup will eventually flake off, and if this goes into your eye, it can cause some severe irritation and even infections. Do not leave it up to chance, and make sure to remove your eye makeup as soon as you can before going to sleep, so your skin can breathe, and your eyes can stay healthy.