Central heating could be damaging your vision- expert explains plus tips on how to protect your eyesight

Central heating could be damaging your vision- expert explains plus tips on how to protect your eyesight

During the winter months, the windows close and the heat gets turned up. Whether this is the central heating at home, the warm air-con at work or the heaters in the car, we are exposed to a lot of dry heat during these colder months. Although it is essential we stay warm, this increased exposure to dry heat could be wreaking havoc on our eyesight.

Carl Greatbanks, expert at Vision Direct, explains the damage heat does to the eyes and provides tips on how to protect your eyesight this season. He said: “increased dry, warm air during the winter months can cause a loss of moisture, you may have noticed this on your skin and lips, but it also causes moisture loss in our eyes too. Many will find that during this time of the year they experience symptoms such as blurry vision, eye fatigue, a stinging, scratchy or burning sensation in your eyes, all of which indicate dry eyes.

“Dry eyes may not sound very serious but if left untreated, severe dry eyes may lead to eye inflammation, abrasion of the corneal surface, corneal ulcers and even vision loss. To avoid this, it is recommended that people take conscious steps to protect their eyesight during this time of the year.”

Here are three essential tips to protect your eyes in winter:

1. Stay hydrated

It may seem like an obvious tip, but it is vital to stay hydrated to help eye moisture. Adults should be drinking at least 2 litres of water per day (around 6-8 glasses) when you are hydrated, so are your eyes. If you find your eyes are more susceptible to getting dry you may also administer eye drops to provide additional lubrication. You can buy eye drops online or off the shelf in most supermarkets and high street pharmacies without a prescription.

To help add moisture into the air too you may want to consider using a humidifier to help, not only will this help dry eyes, humidifiers are also great for congestion which is a common symptom of winter viruses.

Some symptoms of dry eyes to look out for:

Blurry vision or eye fatigue
A stinging, scratchy or burning sensation in your eyes
Redness
Light sensitivity
Watery eyes (this is your body trying to overcompensate for the dryness)
Feeling like there’s something stuck in your eyes
Struggling to wear contact lenses
2. Add Omega-3 to your diet

A healthy diet comes with many benefits for the human body, but ensuring you are including foods in your diet which have a high omega-3 fatty acids can help with ocular moisture.

Some foods which contain these essential fatty acids include:

Salmon (2,150 mg per serving)
Chia seeds (5,050 mg per serving)
Mackerel (4,580 mg per serving)
Walnuts (2,570 mg per serving)
However, if none of these foods fit with dietary requirements there are omega-3 supplements like cod-liver oil and flax seed oil which can be taken to get the daily recommended amount of Omega 3.

3. Avoid rubbing your eyes

Tears are created when we blink and should stay on the eye for around 10-15 seconds before a new one is formed, rubbing your eyes removes these tears, leaving a period of dryness in between each one. As tears are used to facilitate a smooth gliding motion for your eyelids, when the surface is dry it can lead to your eyes feeling heavy, tired, and sore.

Rubbing your eyes can also cause damage to the area which can make it more susceptible to infection as well, for example conjunctivitis (pink eye) and sties. Rubbing your eyes can exacerbate the symptoms and could even spread the infection. Fortunately, bacterial conjunctivitis is self-limiting, and will usually resolve within 7 to 14 days without the need for treatment. Bathing the eyes in warm water can help soothe some symptoms and if you do have bacterial conjunctivitis, you can visit your pharmacist for treatment if needed.

If you are experiencing the symptoms of an eye infection and are a contact lenses wearer, it’s best to stop wearing contact lenses until the inflammation has eased. Wearing contacts during this time can be immensely uncomfortable or may even prolong infection. If you are wearing dailies, bi-weeklies or monthlies when conjunctivitis symptoms appear, dispose of them immediately. Throw away your solution, and your contact lens case to prevent reinfection.

If you are suffering with recurring bacterial or allergic conjunctivitis, we would advise wearing daily disposable contact lenses, instead of monthlies or bi-weeklies, as they are more hygienic, and can be disposed of after each use

Rubbing your eyes can also cause damage to the area which can make it more susceptible to infection as well. If your eyes feel irritated use a clean tissue or damp cotton pad to wipe the area and make sure you regularly wash your hands too.

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Typically thought of as being an easy to clean area of the home, hard floors have risen in popularity in recent decades. Globally, hard floors are the most common floor type,2 and research released today by Dyson has uncovered poor cleaning habits that mean hard floors are likely to be harbouring an array of hidden nasties. This comes as 32% of Brits – equating to 21.6 million people in the UK – will use the same dirty mop head for six months or more before replacing it. What’s more, one in 20 also admit to keeping the same mop for a year or longer, and one in 10 think it is acceptable to use the same mop 100 times, spreading dirt around their floors every time they use it. Cross contamination is a primary issue for most common and traditional mopping methods with germs and bacteria further being unknowingly spread around homes as Brits use dirty water to clean floors.3 45% only change the water to new water between rooms, whereas 41% wait even longer until it looks dirty. This could mean that floors are being washed with dirty water, adding more dirt rather than taking it away. Surprisingly, almost one in 10 (9%) even admit to not changing the dirty water at all when mopping. Over a quarter (28%) admit to mopping their floors once a fortnight or less while over half (53%) admit they don’t regularly clean behind appliances and leave dirt to build up for as long as six months at a time. image002.jpg On how to achieve a perfect barefoot clean feel after mopping, Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert offers their top tips for eliminating dirt around the home: 1. Create a cleaning schedule to stay on top of dirt build-up. In the last year, there has been a 15% global reduction in the number of people who maintain regular cleaning schedules. 47% of the British public admitted to only being motivated to clean when they spot visible dirt or dust.4 Regular floor cleaning with a wet hard floor cleaner like the Dyson WashG1™ removes more stubborn dirt than vacuuming alone. It is important to have a debris free surface, clear any clutter from the floor or other surfaces. Choose the right machine: Different vacuums are designed for different floor types and home sizes. Some machines will be engineered with hard floors in mind and will struggle on thick pile carpets, for example. Choosing the right machine for your home will make a big difference to the ease and speed with which you’re able to clean your home. Clean your floors ‘little and often’. Washing your floors frequently in areas that receive more foot fall will help to stop dirt building up and getting trodden into your floor. Using a dedicated wet floor cleaner on hard flooring such as the Dyson WashG1 is helpful for this, as the versatile format means it vacuums and washes the floor simultaneously. Cleaning schedules have also become less regimented. In recent years only 41% of people claim to have a regular cleaning schedule, and 60% admit to cleaning reactively; being motivated to clean only when there is visible dirt or dust5. It’s perhaps not surprising, that a fifth of people are still concerned their floors are dirty after they’ve mopped them (22%) and one in four6 feel extremely worried about indoor dust at home. Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert reveals why it is important to change the way we mop: “Cleaning your hard floors properly and regularly is important for maintaining a healthy environment around your home. Without a proper cleaning routine, dirt may unknowingly build up and spread around your home. It is evident from our research that current mopping habits mean British households aren’t cleaning their floors as effectively as they should. “From ignoring problem areas where dust and debris build up, cross contamination with dirty water to not replacing mop heads or inconsistent cleaning, current mopping behaviours may be making floors dirtier as opposed to cleaner. Moving away from traditional methods, wet floor cleaners like the Dyson WashG1 simplify the floor cleaning experience and provide a modern efficient and hygienic solution” To help take the guesswork out of mopping, the brand new WashG1 is Dyson’s first dedicated wet floor cleaner that tackles wet and dry debris in one go. Engineered for hygienic cleaning and maintenance, the WashG1 is revolutionising wet floor cleaning, removing the need for multi-products and multi-steps to achieve a barefoot clean feel around the home. To put the product to the test, Dyson have cleaned one of London’s most iconic landmarks The Victoria and Albert Museum. From cleaning the grand marble floors housing the most prestigious exhibits, to cleaning up leftover food in the Gamble Room Cafe, the WashG1 had a dirt busting tour of the museum leaving it spotless. Images can be found here. The WashG1 introduces Dyson’s engineering expertise to cleaning hard floors. With a 1 litre clean-water tank to cover flooring up to 290m2, the Dyson WashG1 uses a combination of hydration, absorption, and extraction technologies to remove wet and dry spills and stains simultaneously. The Dyson WashG1 is available to purchase now from Dyson.co.uk, retailing at £599.99.

Typically thought of as being an easy to clean area of the home, hard floors have risen in popularity in recent decades. Globally, hard floors are the most common floor type,2 and research released today by Dyson has uncovered poor cleaning habits that mean hard floors are likely to be harbouring an array of hidden nasties. This comes as 32% of Brits – equating to 21.6 million people in the UK – will use the same dirty mop head for six months or more before replacing it. What’s more, one in 20 also admit to keeping the same mop for a year or longer, and one in 10 think it is acceptable to use the same mop 100 times, spreading dirt around their floors every time they use it. Cross contamination is a primary issue for most common and traditional mopping methods with germs and bacteria further being unknowingly spread around homes as Brits use dirty water to clean floors.3 45% only change the water to new water between rooms, whereas 41% wait even longer until it looks dirty. This could mean that floors are being washed with dirty water, adding more dirt rather than taking it away. Surprisingly, almost one in 10 (9%) even admit to not changing the dirty water at all when mopping. Over a quarter (28%) admit to mopping their floors once a fortnight or less while over half (53%) admit they don’t regularly clean behind appliances and leave dirt to build up for as long as six months at a time. image002.jpg On how to achieve a perfect barefoot clean feel after mopping, Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert offers their top tips for eliminating dirt around the home: 1. Create a cleaning schedule to stay on top of dirt build-up. In the last year, there has been a 15% global reduction in the number of people who maintain regular cleaning schedules. 47% of the British public admitted to only being motivated to clean when they spot visible dirt or dust.4 Regular floor cleaning with a wet hard floor cleaner like the Dyson WashG1™ removes more stubborn dirt than vacuuming alone. It is important to have a debris free surface, clear any clutter from the floor or other surfaces. Choose the right machine: Different vacuums are designed for different floor types and home sizes. Some machines will be engineered with hard floors in mind and will struggle on thick pile carpets, for example. Choosing the right machine for your home will make a big difference to the ease and speed with which you’re able to clean your home. Clean your floors ‘little and often’. Washing your floors frequently in areas that receive more foot fall will help to stop dirt building up and getting trodden into your floor. Using a dedicated wet floor cleaner on hard flooring such as the Dyson WashG1 is helpful for this, as the versatile format means it vacuums and washes the floor simultaneously. Cleaning schedules have also become less regimented. In recent years only 41% of people claim to have a regular cleaning schedule, and 60% admit to cleaning reactively; being motivated to clean only when there is visible dirt or dust5. It’s perhaps not surprising, that a fifth of people are still concerned their floors are dirty after they’ve mopped them (22%) and one in four6 feel extremely worried about indoor dust at home. Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert reveals why it is important to change the way we mop: “Cleaning your hard floors properly and regularly is important for maintaining a healthy environment around your home. Without a proper cleaning routine, dirt may unknowingly build up and spread around your home. It is evident from our research that current mopping habits mean British households aren’t cleaning their floors as effectively as they should. “From ignoring problem areas where dust and debris build up, cross contamination with dirty water to not replacing mop heads or inconsistent cleaning, current mopping behaviours may be making floors dirtier as opposed to cleaner. Moving away from traditional methods, wet floor cleaners like the Dyson WashG1 simplify the floor cleaning experience and provide a modern efficient and hygienic solution” To help take the guesswork out of mopping, the brand new WashG1 is Dyson’s first dedicated wet floor cleaner that tackles wet and dry debris in one go. Engineered for hygienic cleaning and maintenance, the WashG1 is revolutionising wet floor cleaning, removing the need for multi-products and multi-steps to achieve a barefoot clean feel around the home. To put the product to the test, Dyson have cleaned one of London’s most iconic landmarks The Victoria and Albert Museum. From cleaning the grand marble floors housing the most prestigious exhibits, to cleaning up leftover food in the Gamble Room Cafe, the WashG1 had a dirt busting tour of the museum leaving it spotless. Images can be found here. The WashG1 introduces Dyson’s engineering expertise to cleaning hard floors. With a 1 litre clean-water tank to cover flooring up to 290m2, the Dyson WashG1 uses a combination of hydration, absorption, and extraction technologies to remove wet and dry spills and stains simultaneously. The Dyson WashG1 is available to purchase now from Dyson.co.uk, retailing at £599.99.

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