Taking care of your eyes during cold winter weather

Medically reviewed by Charissa Lee, OD, MBA, FAAO; Head of Professional Affairs, North America Vision Care

Whether you love or hate winter, there’s one thing most of us can agree on: it’s a season of extremes. Toasty fireplaces and frigid winds, hearty stews and hand-made snowmen, relaxing game nights and invigorating ski trips—there’s a big difference between the environment outside and the environment inside. Your eyes present a unique challenge when dealing with these winter extremes. Cold, dry air blowing outside and hot air pouring through heater vents inside can both irritate. And unlike other parts of your body, your eyes have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. They can’t put on a jacket or scarf, they can’t pull on a pair of boots. These extremes can take a toll, whether or not you wear contact lenses. In this blog, we’ll cover some of the biggest eye irritants and go over some ways to keep your eyes healthy all winter.  

A skier wearing a red jacket and backpack skis down a snowy mountain

Combatting the cold air outside

We’ve all been there, a cold wind whips by, catching you off guard, and your eyes sting and water. But why does that happen? Well, the cold winter air isn’t just a shock to the senses, it also tends to be less humid than warmer summer air. This means it’s able to draw out more of the moisture on the surface of your eye, potentially leading to feelings of dryness, or contribute to already-existing dry eye disease (DED)

Ways to help prevent dry eye from winter weather

Artificial tears 

Keeping artificial tears handy and using them often can help you keep the feelings of dry eye at bay when you’re dealing with cold winter weather, especially in windy conditions. If you’re wearing contact lenses, make sure to use eye drops approved for use with contact lenses. 

Learn about eye drops and contacts

Eyelid scrubs 

Believe it or not, a main component of your tears are oils. Sometimes the glands around your eyelids that secrete these oils can become clogged, which can contribute to dry eye symptoms. One way to prevent or treat this is to gently scrub your lids with a warm washcloth wrapped around a finger (with your eyes closed, of course). 

Sunglasses or ski goggles 

An easy way to help prevent cold air from drying out your eyes? Block the air! In the day to day, sunglasses can do a pretty good job of this. If you’re into winter sports like shredding the mountains, ski goggles are a much better choice since they prevent air from flowing over your eyes. 

Can contact lenses freeze to your eyes?

A common concern among contact lens wearers is whether or not their lenses will freeze to their eyes if they go out into cold, wintry weather. But rest assured, contacts won’t freeze to your eyes because they’re kept warm by the temperature of your cornea and tears.

A child sits on his father’s lap in a leather chair next to a fireplace in a log cabin

Finding relief from the warm air inside

Sure, outside, snow may be falling, but it’s no problem when you’re spending time indoors enjoying a cozy day in your heated home, right? Problem is, that warm air blowing out of indoor heating vents in your house (or your car) can also irritate your eyes. You may experience dryness or itchiness as the tear film on your eye evaporates. Just like with cold, dry air, this can exacerbate the effects of DED.

Ways to fend off irritation from indoor heat

Artificial tears 

You may be asking yourself, wasn’t that recommended for the cold air too? Yes, yes it was. Low humidity in the winter season affects your eyes whether you’re in cold air or warm air, so using artificial tears could be a  good option if you’re feeling discomfort. Remember, find one that is approved for use with contact lenses if you’re a contact lens wearer. 

Indoor humidifier 

One of the best ways to fend off low humidity is to add humidity to the air. This can help reduce the tear film evaporation and stave off the feelings of dryness. 

Keep blinking 

Most of us rack up a lot of screen time each day, and it's been found that staring at digital screens can cut down our blinking by as much as 60%. Blinking helps replenish our tear film and reduce the blurry vision, fatigue and drying out of our eyes associated with digital eye strain. So remember to blink! Set reminders if you have to. 

A Black woman wearing a blue jacket and a bike helmet sits smiling on her bicycle in gravel with some snow visible

Preventing damage from the sun’s rays

Light from the sun is the source of all life on the planet, but there’s a flipside—light on the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum can be damaging to your body’s cells. That’s why you get a sunburn if you’re outside without protection. Similarly, your eyes can be damaged by UV rays when they’re exposed for too long, potentially leading to things like photokeratitis, cataracts, macular degeneration, or more. The effects of UV can often be underestimated during the winter, particularly during something like a ski trip. The sun can reflect off snow, meaning you have to protect yourself from light coming from above and below. Not only that, but on cloudy days, some UV rays still pass through clouds, so protection is still needed. Not taking proper precautions outside during the winter can even lead to a condition called snow-blindness.

Simple way to protect your eyes

Sunglasses 

Easy. Throw on some sunglasses and you’re doing a great job of protecting your eyes from harmful UV radiation. Bonus points, you’ll probably look pretty cool, too. 

Ski goggles 

We don’t recommend wearing ski goggles in everyday life, but if you’re hitting the slopes, they’re great for providing full protection from the elements. Double check that your ski goggles have UV blocking to make sure your eyes are protected. 

Hat 

Wearing a wide-brimmed hat is another simple way to prevent UV exposure since it can help shade your eyes. So if you’re outside during the winter, even if it’s overcast, a hat can still be a great idea. 

Three general eye health tips (that also apply to winter)

Stay hydrated 

Your eyes are part of your body and if you’re not hydrated your eyes won’t be either. Make sure to drink water throughout the day. 

Wash your hands before touching your eyes 

Colds, flus, and other contagious diseases like pink eye can run rampant in the winter when we’re all indoors. Before touching your eyes and before putting on or taking off contacts, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and dry them with a lint-free towel. 

Schedule yearly eye exams 

It’s never a bad idea to be regular about your eye exams. Sticking to a consistent schedule can keep you on top of any eye issues as you age, including dry eye disease, glaucoma and cataracts. 

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

How do I stop my eyes from watering in the winter?

Though it may sound counterintuitive, artificial tears may help, since your eyes watering may be a response to them drying out. When indoors, try using a humidifier, which can help raise the humidity of the dryer winter air.  

Will a humidifier help my dry eyes?

When indoors, a humidifier can help add moisture to air. If low humidity is what’s causing your dry eye, a humidifier may help. But there are other causes of dry eye, like meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). If you have persistent dry eye, contact your eye doctor.

How can I moisten my dry eyes naturally?

There are a number of ways that you can reduce the feeling of dry eyes naturally.  

  • Warm compresses can help ease irritation and loosen up any clogged oil glands (oil is a main component of tears). 

  • Blinking more can be a simple remedy. Many of us spend much of our day staring at screens. When we do this, we blink less.  

  • Staying hydrated is good advice all the time, but it also can help your eyes stay moist.

What happens if contacts are left in the cold?

Let’s say you have a delivery of contacts and they’re left outside on the porch overnight in freezing weather. Are they still good? Yes, as long as the packaging isn’t damaged, they’re still safe to wear.  

Are contact lenses ruined if they freeze?

No, as long as the packaging held up, the contact lenses can be thawed out at room temperature and worn.

Related content

Close up of an eye with an eye drop dropper nearby with a drop about to drop

Can you use eye drops with contact lenses?

Contact lenses on a wet surface

Do contact lenses expire?

Consult your eye care professional for more information.  Johnson & Johnson does not provide medical advice; this information is for educational purposes only. 

 

2024PP18036 

ACUVUE
We support the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on interacting with Healthcare Professionals.
Advamed Logo
Get Contacts
Help & Customer Care
MyACUVUE®
About
Legal
© Johnson & Johnson and its affiliates 2024. All rights reserved. This site is published by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., which is solely responsible for its content. It is intended for use by residents of the United States.

Third-party trademarks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.