Wildfire Smoke & Your Eyes

August 19, 2024

There has been a lot of news about how to care for your lungs, but we wanted to share some easy-to-follow tips to care for your vision during thick wildfire smoke.

Wildfires have an impact on various body systems, especially the lungs and the eyes.

“My top tip is to stay indoors. This, more than anything else, will greatly reduce your risk of eye irritation.”

                                       —Dr. Alan Johnson of Spokane Eye Clinic. 

If you can't stay indoors, follow our simple tips to protect your eyes from the smoke:

• Stay indoors when possible.
• When you have to travel in your vehicle, turn the “recycling air” function to minimize the amount of toxic smoke entering the vehicle.
• Use lubricating eye drops when necessary. Redout and Visine-type solutions are not recommended as they can further dry out your eyes.
• Contacts wearers: If you can wear glasses instead of contacts, do so as this will lessen eye irritation.
• Always remember to practice good hygiene and avoid touching your eyes. This simple step can go a long way in preventing eye irritation.
• Use a cool or warm compress to get relief from dry, burning eyes. A cool compress held over closed eyelids will calm inflammation and help with itching, while a warm compress held over closed eyelids will
  help with dry eye by encouraging the oil glands to flow better.
• For dry eye, place a warm washcloth over closed eyelids for 10 minutes. You may need to reheat cloth during this time. Caution: Test the heat of the washcloth on the skin to ensure the washcloth is warm and not too hot to avoid burning eyelids

Dr. Johnson also expresses concern about the combination of working/learning at home and the wildfire smoke. “Many members of our community experience symptoms of digital eye strain, so I'm concerned about that in addition to the irritation from smoke. So, along with the wildfire tips, make sure you take regular breaks from your screens.”