The frigid winter months can wreak havoc on your eyes, and many people struggle with a wide variety of vision problems once the weather starts to cool off. If you are tired of dealing with itchy eyes and blurry vision, then it might be time to make a few changes around your home before you go to your doctor.

Deep Clean

Even if you try to keep your home as tidy as possible, it could still fill up with countless allergens, toxins, and contaminants. Over time, all of those irritants are going to bother your eyes and lead to a myriad of problems ranging from inflammation to discoloration. Those are just a few of the reasons why you should try to deep clean your home at least once every few weeks during the coldest months of the year.

Service the HVAC System

As a general rule, you should try to schedule HVAC service calls at least once every six months. Keeping your home at a comfortable temperature will help you avoid dryness, itchiness, and general discomfort. A local company that offers heating and air conditioning services should be able to inspect and tune your entire HVAC system in under an hour, and that quick project could end up saving you quite a bit of money.

Regularly Change the Air Filter

Many homeowners don’t realize that some HVAC filters need to be changed as often as once every two weeks. When you are buying new air filters, you should always look for products that have high MERV ratings. An air filter that has a MERV rating of 16 will catch almost any contaminant that blows through it, and that means you are going to have fewer irritants inside your home.

Invest in a Humidifier

Depending on where you live, you might benefit from investing in a humidifier as well. Cold air holds less moisture, and many people struggle with dry eyes once the weather starts to cool off. A small humidifier is going to add a little bit of moisture to the air, and those devices are very inexpensive. If everyone in your family is struggling with itchy and dry eyes, then you might want to install a whole-house humidifier.

A little bit of eye discomfort is perfectly fine, but you should immediately contact an eye doctor if any vision problems last for more than a few days. Your eye doctor can help you come up with a long-term plan for keeping your eyes healthy and well-lubricated. If you are a contact lens wearer you should talk to your optometrist about different lens options that can help deal with your eye discomfort. Scleral lenses may help with eye lubrication depending on your symptoms.