How to Protect Your Eyes This Fall

Shine a Little Light on your Scary Stories

Reading scary stories in the dark is a surefire way to spook your friends on Halloween night, but is reading in the dark bad for your eyes? According to eye doctors, reading in dim light doesn’t cause permanent eye damage, but can lead to uncomfortable eye fatigue and dry eyes. Celebrate the season with your favorite spooky tales and protect your eyes while you’re at it. When reading scary stories, ensure your eyes can comfortably focus on the text by having ample light and a current glasses prescription. If you haven’t had an eye exam since last fall, make an appointment with your eye doctor to update your prescription.

Distance Yourself from Bonfire Smoke

Curling up by a warm bonfire on crisp autumn nights is a relaxing way to unwind. But does smoke damage your eyes? Smoke exposure can lead to dry eye syndrome, resulting in symptoms like itchy or watery eyes and even blurred vision. Additionally, sitting too close to a bonfire puts you at risk of ash or sparks hitting your eye and causing damage. Don’t turn a blind eye to the adverse effects of smoke. Instead, position yourself safely away from the fire—and sit upwind to minimize exposure.

Create Safe Costumes that are Easy on the Eyes

People go to great lengths to create the perfect Halloween costume, but you should never put your eyes at risk in the process. Every year, stores advertise and sell costume contacts. But are Halloween contacts safe for your eyes? The CDC recommends avoiding costume contacts unless you have a proper fitting and prescription from your eye doctor. Seriously, without proper fit and training for use, you risk contact lens-related eye problems like scratches on the outer layer of the eye, ulcers on the cornea, scarring, infection—even permanent vision loss.

The spooky risks don’t stop there! Costume eye makeup can also potentially irritate the eyes—especially if it contains glitter. While glitter is a popular addition to Halloween costume makeup, if it gets in your eyes, it can scratch your cornea. Before dressing for the Halloween party, brush up on makeup safety tips. And before applying costume makeup, read the label carefully to ensure it is safe for use around the eyes.

Consume Sweet Treats in Moderation

While the fall season is full of sweet baked goods and trick-or-treat candy, sugary treats can negatively impact health—including your eye health. According to eye doctors, high-sugar foods may affect eyesight and even leave the eyes vulnerable to diseases like macular degeneration. Consume sweets in moderation to help protect the eyes and maintain overall health. While you’re at it, you can even try to incorporate some of the best foods for eye health into your everyday diet. For example, sweet potatoes are great for your eyes and give you that fall flavor fix.

Wear Protective Eyewear while Carving Pumpkins

Going to the pumpkin patch to pick the best pumpkin to carve is a fall tradition! However, carving pumpkins can be dangerous if you’re not careful. Since pumpkin carving requires sharp tools, always exercise caution and keep your carving kit tools away from your face and others’. Additionally, pumpkin carving can get messy—and if you have pulp residue on your hands and accidentally touch your face, the residue can irritate your eyes. Consider wearing gloves and protective eyewear (including glasses!) while carving your pumpkin. The only spooky thing here should be your jack-o-lantern’s face.

Remember: Sunglasses Aren’t Just for the Beach

When the weather cools down and the sun doesn’t seem as bright, it’s easy to forget the importance of wearing sunglasses in fall and winter. While the fall season brings cooler temperatures and less sunlight, it doesn’t mean your eyes are safe from the harmful effects of sun exposure and glare off water and snow. It’s important to wear sunglasses to keep your eyes sun-safe all year round—and polarized lenses are a great option if you plan on spending lots of time outside. Just remember to grab your sunglasses on the way out for a stroll to view the changing fall foliage!