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Winter air is drier than summer air because it’s colder, this means that it can hold less water before it condenses, leaving the air with very little dissolved water. It is difficult to escape this dryness because even inside your home, where the temperature is higher, the relative humidity of the air remains very low. A 2006 study has shown that frequency of dry eye symptoms increases in winter compared to any other season.
Symptoms related to dry eye can include:
Using a humidifier inside your home can help to increase the indoor humidity so the effects of the wintery air are less severe.
Kings Hill Opticians offer expertise to help identify the underlying cause of your dry eye symptoms. We take time to identify the problem; whether that be lifestyle related or physiological, to ensure that we can provide the best care for your eyes. Find out more here.
Many people can develop watery eyes during the cold and windy months. This usually involves excess tearing, especially when outdoors.
Our first step is to check the eyelid punctum, the channels that drain your tears. If we think that may be blocked, we would refer you to an ophthalmologist for further investigation and to get them unblocked if necessary. If they’re not blocked, then we would recommend wearing some form of protection over your eyes to provide some alleviation, even if you don’t need prescription lenses. Non-prescription spectacles that might be suitable are the innovative Copper Mesh spectacle lenses or Maui Jim polarising sun glasses.
Ultra VioletContrary to popular belief, UV is present all year round even in the Winter months.
Snow and ice are reflective, this means that harmful ultra violet radiation can be reflected into your eyes from above as well as below. It is important to take measures to protect your eyes if you are expecting snowfall or holidaying to a snowy destination, such as skiing. Even if you do not feel the immediate effects of UV exposure, the damage that it does is cumulative, which means that you may be more at risk of long-term complications later in your life if you are over-exposed to sunlight.
Conditions such as cataracts are thought to be more likely to occur when contact with sunlight is not moderated.
All of our Spectacle lenses from Essilor have UV protection.
If your skiing holiday goes to plan, you’ll have fantastic sunshine bouncing off lots of brilliant white powder. But even if you stay in Blighty and we don’t see any of the white stuff, it can still sometimes be difficult to avoid looking in the direction of the winter sun, for example while driving; this worsens when roads are icy or wet and the sun is lying low. Keeping a pair of sunglasses at hand, especially polarizing ones which cut out all harmful UVA and UVB light such as our stunning Maui Jim sunglasses, can go a long way to help reduce the effects of over-exposure.
Your eyes are extremely important – you only get one pair and humans rely heavily on visual cues for communication, navigation and just about anything you can think of. If you have any concerns about your eyes this winter, get them checked over – the sooner any complications are diagnosed, the quicker you can get the right treatment to protect your vision.
As Kings Hill Opticians, we offer up to 50-minute eye tests using state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment so we can pick up any complications or changes in your eye health as early as possible to protect and preserve your eye sight.
Open day: Your most comfortable pair of glasses - unique to you
Kings Hill Opticians are delighted to be one of only a handful of practices in the country to be able to offer patients the dispensing revolution of VisiOffice X. This 3D, cutting-edge technology redefines optics dispensing to create bespoke glasses for each patient, offering the clearest, most natural vision possible.
15/05/2019
Understanding cataracts
Cataracts are a well-known disease caused by the clouding of the lens of the eye. The condition is mostly associated with the aging process. Detecting it early allows us to track the changes which can occur in your prescription which sometimes help predict the speed of changes, this in turn allows us to ensure that you are referred to the correct specialists to ensure you enjoy the best eye health and vision possible.
27/03/2019
Have Age-related Macular Degeneration? We may have the answer
If you or a loved one suffer from AMD, you may be resigned to poor vision. But you don’t need to be! Our innovative E-Scoop lenses can be amazing at improving vision for AMD sufferers, giving them a new lease of life.
13/03/2019
Night driving with confidence
Do you find driving in the dark difficult? We have the solutions to get your night-driving confidence back, especially during these long winter evenings.
27/02/2019
Don't give up on your New Year's resolutions, they're great for your eye health
How are your New Year's resolutions going? We're mid-February and many of you may have forgotten about them, but we've got a reason to motivate you to help keep on track: New Year's resolutions can be great for your eye health. Our guide will help strengthen your resolve to help you stick to your guns.
20/02/2019
An award-winning start to the year
We've kicked off 2019 with a flying start, being shortlisted as finalists for the national Opticians Awards 2019 and winning Essilor's National Bespoke Varilux Practice of the Year!
13/02/2019
How to look after your eyes on the ski slopes this winter
If you're planning on hitting the slopes this winter, it is important to look after your eyes. Ultra violet light can be more powerful on the ski slopes because of the snow's reflectiveness, so it's vital that you prepare properly and get the right protection. Our expert opticians explain the dangers high levels of exposure can cause, and what you need to do to look after your eyes.
19/12/2018
How our interest-free credit can benefit you this Christmas
We all know that the main role of glasses is to enable you to see clearly, but they become part of your face and personality, so it’s important that they make you feel and look fabulous as well.
05/12/2018
Optician stopped me having a major stroke
As seen on South East News on Saturday Evening,....
03/12/2018
How copper mesh lenses help you look after your eyes
Copper mesh spectacle lenses are a revolutionary product that can help with a whole range of eye conditions, many of which are aggravated at this time of year, when we spend more time indoors with drying central heating and working by electric light for more hours of the day. If you suffer from tired eyes, headaches, motion sickness, Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia or even reading difficulties, they could be the solution you’ve been looking for.
28/11/2018
Alcohol Awareness Week, the problems of being blind drunk
Alcohol Awareness Week, running between the 19 and 25 November, aims to encourage people to change their relationships with drink. We all know that drinking too much can have serious consequences on your health, but did you know that it can also impact your eye health?
21/11/2018
World Diabetes Day, diabetes and eye health
World Diabetes Day on 14 November is seeing to raise awareness about the disease to help people prevent, spot and manage it more successfully. The link between diabetes and eye health is profound: blurred and variable vision can be one of the first signs of diabetes, and diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness.
07/11/2018
Kings Hill Opticians Saved My Life
14/09/2018
2018 Sports Sunglasses range
16/03/2018
Opticians awards 2018
We are delighted to be selected for the Finals of the National Awards as Independent Practice of the Year.
16/02/2018
Read About us in the papers!
See what the news has to say about us
08/12/2017
Copper Mesh Spectacle Lenses to help eliminate glare and eyestrain
17/11/2016
Eyezen lenses: relaxing eyes to help protect visual health
Eyezen focus reduces eyestrain and improves small character readability. Light scan reduces glare, improves contrast and helps prevent premature aging of your eyes.
07/03/2016
New hope for Macular Degeneration Suffers
06/07/2015
Crizal Prevencia
Blocks UV + Harmful Blue-Violet light (transmitted by modern digital devices) and helps prevent premature eye ageing
28/03/2014
Diagnosis error revealed 15 years on
A KINGS Hill woman who has been treated for an eye condition for 15 years has found out she never suffered from the illness.
06/08/2012
I was lucky not to lose my eyesight
WAITING for her father-in-law at an opticians’ appointment, Susan Stratful began trying on some frames.
05/08/2012