When the heating goes on, eyes start to feel dry and gritty, as if there’s sand in them. The NHS says you can get dry eyes if you don’t make enough tears or your tears dry up quickly, and suggests you clean your eyelids every day, take breaks from screens and hold a warm (not hot) flannel around your eyes. Avoid smoking, too much alcohol, smoky or dry places and long periods in air-conditioned or heated rooms. This sets out the NHS page “Dry eyes”.
1. Clean your eyelids daily; a warm flannel, then a gentle massage.
2. Screen breaks, screen just below eye level, a humidifier. Avoid air-conditioned or heated rooms, smoke and dust.
3. Still dry after a few weeks: optician or GP. Painful red eye, or red eye with contact lenses: urgent. Sight changes or eye injury: emergency.
Symptoms and causes — NHS
You may have dry eyes if your eyes are itchy, sore, gritty, red, blurry, sensitive to light, or more watery than normal, the NHS says — watery eyes being on the list is worth noticing. The cause is not making enough tears or tears drying up quickly, and risk factors include being over 50, contact lenses, long screen time, air-conditioned or heated rooms, smoking, alcohol, some medicines, and conditions such as blepharitis, Sjögren’s syndrome or lupus.
Do and don’t — NHS
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (our gloss) |
|---|---|---|
| Do | Clean your eyelids every day | Ties in with the warm flannel below |
| Do | Take breaks to rest your eyes when watching TV or using a computer | — |
| Do | Put your computer screen just below eye level | — |
| Do | Use a humidifier | — |
| Don’t | Smoke or drink too much alcohol | — |
| Don’t | Spend time in smoky, dry or dusty places, or long periods in air-conditioned or heated rooms | Winter heating and summer air conditioning alike |
| Don’t | Stop taking a prescribed medicine without medical advice | Even if it may be a cause |
For the eyelid routine, soak a flannel in warm (not hot) water and press it gently around your eyes, then gently massage the eyelids and wipe away excess oil and debris with warm cotton wool. The page we read gives no time for the warm flannel.
Screen-related eye strain is in eye strain relief, room temperature in indoor temperature 18°C, and styes in styes.
At the pharmacy — NHS
A pharmacist can advise on treating dry eyes yourself and on over-the-counter eyedrops, gels or ointments, the NHS says. We haven’t matched product names.
When to get help — NHS
| Where | When | Worth noting (our gloss) |
|---|---|---|
| Optician or GP | Still dry after a few weeks of home treatment · the shape of your eyelids changes | In the UK opticians test eyes; in Korea, an ophthalmologist |
| Urgent (GP or NHS 111) | Your eye is painful and red · a red eye while wearing contact lenses (could be an infection) | — |
| 999 or A&E | Sight changes · pain when looking at light · red eye with a severe headache and feeling sick · a very dark red eye · an eye injury · something stuck in the eye | In Korea, 119 or the ER |
“In Korea, an ophthalmologist” is our reading of the UK system. Where to go is covered in ER vs local clinic.
Checklist
- ☐ Clean eyelids daily; a warm (not hot) flannel
- ☐ Screen breaks; screen just below eye level
- ☐ A humidifier; limit time in air-conditioned or heated rooms
- ☐ Don’t stop prescribed medicine without advice
- ☐ Weeks with no change: eye check; painful and red: urgent; sight changes: emergency
Questions that remain
How often should I use artificial tears?
The NHS page we read doesn’t give a number. It varies by product, so follow the leaflet and ask a pharmacist.
My eyes water — can that be dry eyes?
The NHS lists “more watery than normal” among dry eye symptoms.
Sources
- NHS — Dry eyes — source (page shows: reviewed 6 January 2025, next review 6 January 2028; checked 13 October 2026). 7 symptoms, causes and risk factors, 4 dos and 3 don’ts, the eyelid routine, pharmacy, 2 optician or GP reasons, 2 urgent and 6 emergency signs.
- Not read. NHS blepharitis page; Korean agency guidance on dry eyes.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and “in Korea, an ophthalmologist”.
Where else to check
- A pharmacist or eye clinic — eyedrop types and eye tests.
Written on 13 October 2026. The content is from the NHS; the glosses are ours.