Winter Dry Eyes - Advice from Emily

Dry eye symptoms commonly become worse during winter. This is due to a combination of environmental factors. Cold outdoor air contains less moisture. Indoors heaters, air conditioning, and heat pumps further reduce humidity levels. This all increases tear evaporation from the surface of the eyes.

You may notice increased dryness, irritation, fluctuating vision, redness, burning, or watery eyes during colder months. Extended screen use can also contribute; we tend to blink less frequently when concentrating, reducing the spread of healthy lubricating tears across the eye.

Consistency with dry eye treatment becomes important in Winter. Dry eye is typically a chronic condition that requires ongoing management. Symptoms are easier to control when treatment is maintained regularly rather than only used during flare-ups.

My Winter Dry Eye Recommendations:

• Apply a warm compress for 2 minutes daily using a wheat bag or heated eye mask. Cover the wheat bag with a clean tissue or cloth to help minimise bacterial contamination. Follow with gentle eyelid massage to encourage the eyelid oil glands to release healthy oils into the tear film and reduce tear evaporation.

• Use lubricating eye drops consistently throughout the day. My preferred recommendations are Hylo-Fresh or Systane Complete for hydration and symptom relief, 2 to 3 drops per day is generally sufficient. 

• If your eyes feel particularly dry overnight or upon waking, use a lubricating ointment such as Poly-Visc or VitA-POS before bed for overnight protection.

• Try to avoid direct airflow from heaters, heat pumps, or air conditioning, as these can worsen tear evaporation.

• Remember that consistency is key. Regular daily treatment is far more effective than only treating during flare-ups.

You can purchase all of the products mentioned, including wheat bags, eye drops, and ointments, from us.  

We also offer in-clinic dry eye treatments, including Blephasteam. This can help improve eyelid oil gland function, giving additional relief for more persistent symptoms.

If dry eye symptoms are affecting your comfort or vision this winter, we can help tailor a management plan specific to your eyes and lifestyle. To book a dry eye assessment or treatment appointment, call us on 09 425 9646 or book online through our website.

– Emily, Optometrist

Blephasteam can give additional relief from dry eye.

Macular degeneration FAQ

Awareness of macular degeneration is growing. This is a very good thing, people are coming for an eye examination because of public education campaigns about the importance of regular eyecare.

From an optometrist’s viewpoint, it is always a heartsink moment when I see early signs of macular degeneration. Depending on what people know about this condition, hearing this information can be very distressing. This can be a shock which can impact on understanding or even hearing the rest of the consultation and the implications of the diagnosis.

Here are some of the questions which frequently arise:

What can I do?

There are four main ‘modifiable’ risk factors;

  1. Do not smoke

  2. Look after your vascular health; see your GP regularly for checkups and routine blood tests and follow their advice.

  3. Protect your eyes from UV light; use a hat and your prescription glasses or sunglasses.

  4. Eat as well as you can.

What is ‘dry’ macular degeneration?

This is the most common type of macular degeneration. Deposits accumulate under the macular. There will not be any fluid in the retina. Over time these deposits interfere with the performance of the photoreceptors, affecting vision.

Is there any treatment for ‘dry’ macular degeneration?

Not yet. Although there are trials underway at the moment and the results will show if these are beneficial.

Will I need eye injections?

Macular degeneration causes progressive degenerative changes to the retina. In some cases there is fluid which accumulates in the macular. This is commonly referred to as ‘wet’ macular degeneration. In these cases changes in vision are usually much more noticeable, including distortion. There is a treatment, which is delivered by injection. Many people have ‘wet’ macular degeneration treated this way, and sometimes the outcomes can be quite good.

You will only have this treatment if there are signs of ‘wet’ macular degeneration.

How quickly will this advance? Will I be able to drive in the future?

If you are having regular eye examinations, we most commonly identify macular degeneration in its ‘early’ stages. This is when changes are seen in the eye, but vision is entirely uneffected.

Over time macular degeneration will progress. In some cases, fortunately, the changes are slow.

We use the term ‘intermediate’ to describe advancing macular degeneration which is starting to impact on vision. Changes can be difficulty reading. When we measure your vision on our chart you will not be able to see the smaller letters. At this stage most people will still meet the vision requriements for a car licence. So you are managing, but you have noticed changes.

‘Advanced’ macular degeneration occurs as the condition progresses. There are larger areas of the retina where the photoreceptors do not work. As the condition progresses so does its impact on vision. At this stage people will no longer see well enough to drive.

The term ‘geographic atrophy’ is used to describe advanced macular degeneration changes in the retina.

If you have early macular degeneration my recommendations are:

A healthy diet can help your eye health

  • Read the material from Macular Degeneration NZ - their handouts and website are excellent.

  • Put the Amsler Grid somewhere handy and check it regularly.

  • Do an audit of your diet to make sure you are covering all the recommendations. If not, consider supplements.

  • Take a careful look at home lighting and make any improvement possible. Particularly useful is to increase light levels in places you like to read. This can make an appreciable impact on your reading. Daylight lamps are excellent.

  • Same goes for magnifying glasses. Often these can be buried in a drawer somewhere. Clean them and leave them in the kitchen and bathroom where they are easily accessible for reading small print on labels.

  • Prepare for the worst and hope for the best, but start small. Don’t leap straight to thinking about not driving and having to move house. Instead channel that energy into trying new technology. Have you listened to an audio book from the library? Can you take a photo of a label with your phone and magnify it? Have you ordered groceries online?

  • Talk to your friends and peers. There may be people you know in the same situation, and hearing their stories can be very helpful.

The Amsler grid can help detect early sign of retinal disease and monitor changes in vision after diagnosis.

Remember to talk to your optometrist. When you have had time to process the information if you have questions come back to us, we are here to help.

Protect your eyes from Blue Light on your Screen

Not all blue light is bad - some exposure is good for our health. Exposure to natural blue light from sunlight during the day helps us to stay alert, perform well and positively influences our mood.

Sunlight is the main source of blue light but there are also man-made sources. Fluorescent and LED lighting, flat-screen televisions, computers, smartphones and other digital devices all emit blue light. The amount of blue light emitted from these devices is small compared to sunlight levels.

As we spend increasing time on digital devices, this raises concern about possible long-term effects of blue light over-exposure on eye health.  Blue light exposure from these artificial sources can disrupt the internal body clock, particularly in the evenings – tricking our brains into thinking it’s still daytime, with potential to disrupt sleep.

It does this by inhibiting the natural production of melatonin, a hormone in our bodies that regulates sleep.

Studies have shown that wearing blue light blocking lenses when you use digital devices will reduce this effect.

Over-exposure to artificially made blue light (even during the day) can also contribute to headaches and migraines, and dry or fatigue eyes leading to blurred vision and discomfort. This collection of symptoms is becoming known globally as Digital Eye Strain, or Computer Vision Syndrome.

We have a solution. Avatude Blue Light Eyewear combines comfortable & stylish frames with quality UV400 and UV420 blue light blocking lenses to reduce digital eye strain. These are perfect for people who do not use prescription glasses.

Check out our range.

Myopia Management Contact Lens Update

By Emily Kamimura, Optometrist

Introducing the Next Generation in Myopia Management: MyDay MiSight® 1 Day

Sally, Claire, and I recently attended the launch of MiSight 1 Day Myopia Control Contact lenses. It represents a meaningful step forward in vision and eye health for children and young people.

What is myopia control?

Myopia (short-sightedness) typically begins in childhood or the teenage years, causing distance vision to become blurry. The past several years have seen a significant increase in myopia prevalence worldwide, with nearly 5 billion people estimated to be affected by 2050.

What many people don’t realise is that myopia often progresses as children grow. This does not just mean stronger glasses over time. It can also increase the risk of serious eye health conditions later in life, such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.

That is why myopia control is so important. It focuses on slowing the progression of short-sightedness during the growing years, helping to protect long-term eye health. One clinically proven option is MiSight® 1 day contact lenses, which are specifically designed to slow myopia progression while providing clear, comfortable vision day to day.

Building on Proven Success

The new MyDay MiSight® 1 day builds on the well-established success of MiSight® 1 day, but in a superior contact lens material which is healthier for the eye.

What we particularly like about this new version is improved comfort and ease of use. The advanced silicone hydrogel used in MyDay contact lenses, makes the lenses softer, more breathable, and easier to handle. This can make a real difference for both children and parents.

What this means for families

For children already using MiSight® lenses, this new design represents a welcome step forward. For those just beginning their journey with short-sightedness, it provides another excellent option for early management.

We are looking forward to transitioning our current patients to this new design and seeing the benefits firsthand.

If you have children or grandchildren who are short-sighted, or if you are concerned they may be developing myopia, please feel free to book them in for an appointment with us, or call us on 09 425 9646. We would be very happy to talk through the available options and support their long-term eye health.

The Next Generation in Myopia Management