Self Care practices and skincare routine are an essential and highly important part of our everyday lives. Besides protecting our face from any unwanted wrinkles and allowing it to breathe correctly, the most major part is looking after the eye area which is very sensitive, as well as of the eyes themselves, responsible not only for our vision, but related also with the overall head-health, which absence may cause feelings of tiredness or possible headaches.
During the transitional seasons, as spring and autumn, our eyes suffer the most, not only because of the temperature change, but also due to changes in the quality and consistency of air, such as the percentage of humidity, the existence of pollen or dust, etc. Therefore, when it’s the time of the year to welcome happily say that “Spring Has Sprung” it’s important to follow some tips/steps that will contribute in preserving the desired eye health. Especially if keeping in mind that it’s in spring that we start travelling more frequently, it’s even more challenging, although more significant too, to stick to a habit.
Let’s see what one can do in order to maintain a sufficient level of eye health and avoid infections, that will cause inconvenience while travelling.
1. Take short breaks
When you are travelling for a lot of hours consequently, such as having a very long flight, or a multi-hour train itinerary or a road trip, your eyes receive the same visual stimulus for an extended period, especially if you read a book or spend some screen time, where they stay focused on the same point. Thus, it is important to take regular breaks to prevent eye strain. Blink often, try to look and shift your focus to long distance objects, or just apply the helpful 20-20-20 rule; when looking at something specific you should take 20’’ breaks every 20’, looking at an object 20 m. away.
2. Hydration
Drinking the daily required amount of water is necessary and beneficial for several reasons, though one of them is that it also helps in keeping the eyes healthy and moisturized. In order to be prepared for all circumstances ( dry environments, higher consumption of junk-food and/or alcohol than usual) you should pack a bottle of eye-drops for instant relief from dryness and discomfort or drops that cause artificial tears, to boost your eyes’ self-regulation.
3. Eye care & Hygiene
The combination of the spring season, that is accompanied by pollen and other allergens floating in the air, with the fact of visiting other places (thus touching more dirty objects) and using other linen & towels than ours, increases the risks of eye-infections. Therefore, we should remember to avoid touching our eyes, clean and wash our hands as often as possible, and not share with are travel buddies our towels, or make-up tools.
4. Eye care & Protection
Finally, if you need glasses in your every-day life, you should be equipped with a spare kit of contact-lenses, have enough cleansing and be more careful on where you store them. The use of sunglasses is also very significant in minimizing the effects of the harmful radiations – yes, even on cloudy days-, so you have to reassure that they protect you from both UVA and UVB rays and the lens don’t require change.