In the cold season, as a rule, we experience ailments more often, but this is not always accompanied by standard symptoms – a sore throat or a runny nose. It turns out that our eyes can get sick too.
Of course, the eyes themselves are not afraid of the cold, and sub-zero temperatures cannot directly harm them, but the cold often enhances the manifestation of already existing problems.
Immunity drop
Faced with various ailments in the cold season, you can often hear such a phrase as “cold eyes”. In fact, there is no such term in medicine. This phrase implies various inflammations of the surface of the eye itself and its surrounding tissues. And most often their cause is a drop in immunity: the body is weakened, and the likelihood of hypothermia is especially high. So, what types of “eye colds” are there?
- Conjunctivitis – inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyeball and eyelids. The most common cause of the disease is viruses and bacteria. In this case, the person’s eyes turn red, mucous deposits may appear on the eyelids. The patient complains of “sand in the eyes”, pain, lacrimation, photophobia.
- Barley – inflammation of the hair follicle of the eyelash caused by bacteria. Barley looks like a painful rounded seal on the edge of the eyelid: it “ripens” for several days, then it opens, and purulent contents come out of it. In some cases, barley also leads to a general reaction of the body to the disease – fever and chills.
- Blepharitis – inflammation of the eyelid, which can be both bacterial and tick-borne or allergic in nature. If we talk specifically about the “cold”, then the cause of blepharitis is the activation of the microflora of the skin of the eyelids, including Demodex mites. Although they are normally present on the eyelids, a decrease in immunity leads to an increase in their number. Itching and redness appear, characteristic discharge can be seen on the eyelashes and the edges of the eyelids. Often, both the mucous membrane of the eye and the eyelids become inflamed at the same time. This case is called blepharoconjunctivitis.
- Myositis of the orbit – inflammation of the oculomotor muscles that surround the eyeball. Quite often, this disease appears against the background of hypothermia or acute respiratory viral infections, although autoimmune processes are considered the main cause. The patient complains of pain when moving his eyes, discomfort, feeling of fullness.
In addition, some symptoms of “cold eyes”, such as heaviness in the eyes, pain inside the eyeballs, photophobia, are ARVI satellites. Therefore, it is not always the organs of vision that need treatment.
How to be treated?
If symptoms appear, it is necessary to consult a specialist, only he can prescribe the correct treatment after examination. Since the cause of the occurrence of diseases lies most often in a decrease in immunity, the best solution would be a comprehensive strengthening of the body. Local treatment, such as drops and compresses, will not give the desired effect.
In addition, it is very important to understand that in no case should you self-medicate. Self-selected drops may not be suitable, and untimely admission to the hospital is fraught with complications that can lead to serious illness. Then they will have to be dealt with surgically.
No less dangerous are folk methods of treatment. For example, saliva with barley will only add microbes, and warming up with an egg will provoke the spread of the disease by expanding blood vessels. The result is the development of complications and the need for emergency hospitalization.
To prevent diseases, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system, do not neglect sports, including outdoor activities, eat right, take vitamins, observe sleep and rest, and give up bad habits.
Winter sun
The sun’s rays, or rather ultraviolet, are very harmful to eye health. Once on the retina, they affect the central optic nerves, which leads to the development of macular degeneration, a disease that reduces vision.
The second danger is sunburn of the eyes, which can be obtained through the sun’s rays reflected from snow and ice. Burns are accompanied by pain and tearing, and discomfort persists for a day.
Sunglasses must be used to protect the eyes, but they must also be properly fitted. The highest degree of protection is given by those that meet the European standard “S4” or “UV400” (USA).
The same models, where dark lenses are simply installed, do not protect, but only harm the eyes. The fact is that the dimming “deceives” the eye, and the pupil expands, which means it allows even more ultraviolet rays to pass inside. Thus, you take even more damage than if you were without glasses. That is why sunglasses are not just a fashion accessory, but a real means of protection.
About expert
Tatyana Shilova – ophthalmic surgeon, professor, doctor of medical sciences, chief physician of the network of ophthalmological centers “Clinic of Dr. Shilova”. See her for more details. .