Are your eyes feeling more irritated, sore, and grittier in recent weeks? Winter and the early Spring months take a toll on our eyes, with many Brits suffering from ‘dry eyes’. The eye health syndrome is caused by a lack of lubrication in the eye, which is further exasperated in colder months. The drop in humidity, colder dryer air, and wind – coupled with central heating which further evaporates any moisture in the air – are known to worsen the condition for existing sufferers as well as cause dry eye in people who were previously unaffected.
Dry eyes can upset your sleep, make reading or looking at screens uncomfortable, and gets worse as the day progresses. Symptoms of dry eye are a particular problem for contact lens wearers as three quarters (74%) say they suffer from dry eye. Ageing also has an impact since our body produces less hyaluronic acid from our 40s onwards and this is key for retaining moisture in the eyes. Hormonal changes before and during menopause, and regular use of antihistamines, antidepressants, and diuretics, also affect the amount of moisture in the eye.
One product that can really help is you suffer with this condition is Rohto Dry Aid. It’s designed to mimic natural tears and its ingredients work on the different layers of the tear film to stabilize it and restore its natural function. This alleviates symptoms and normal vision is restored.
Optometrist, Francesca Marchetti from Rohto Dry Aid notes, “Dry eye is not only very uncomfortable, if the problem is prolonged it can lead to corneal abrasions and irreparable damage to vision. Because it can make many vision-based activities, such as driving and reading, uncomfortable, it can also have a very negative impact on quality of life.”
Top tips to ease dry eyes
1 PROTECT EYES FROM THE ELEMENTS: We know that cold air, wind and sunlight are just a handful of the factors that can influence our eye health. So even though it’s getting colder – get your sunnies out! Wearing sunglasses can protect eyes from the glare of the sun – which can cause tears to evaporate – as well as shielding them from the drying wind.
2 BREAK THE CYCLE: Francesca Marchetti, Optometrist from Rohto Dry Aid, says: “One of the most important things you can do to ease symptoms of dry eyes is to interrupt that vicious circle. A product that addresses all aspects of the dry eye cycle is important, so a new, clinically backed product called Rohto Dry Aid, which relieves EIGHT symptoms of dry eye has been quite a breakthrough. It has special Tearshield Technology which provides soothing relief for up to 12 hours helping to hydrate, protect and restore the tear film.”
3 20 20 20 LOVE: Humans usually blink 20 times per minute but when concentrating on their screens this blink rate can drop to between just one and three times per 60 seconds. Marchetti advises: “Experts like me recommend that we give our eyes a break from screens every 20 minutes by looking at a distant object (20ft away) for 20 seconds and blink for 20 seconds – it’s called the 20 20 20 screen break rules.”
4 EAT FOODS TO BOOST EYE HEALTH: Diet can play a helpful role for good eye health. Two key eye nutrients – Omega 3 and vitamin A – are lacking in in many diets – so try to boost your intake if that’s the case.
5 CATCH SOME ZZZS: Marchetti continues: “It’s during the hours that we are resting, that our body can repair and recover. That goes for our eyes too as the time they are closed is a period when they aren’t being forced to focus. Getting 7 to 8 hours of shuteye can allow for tears to be replenished and eyes to relax.”
6 TAKE A BREAK FROM CONTACT LENSES: Ensuring you sleep without lenses at night is essential to help avoid symptoms of dry eye and taking occasional breaks to swap lenses for glasses is a good idea to avoid irritation.
7 AVOID HOT AIR: Be mindful that central heating depletes the moisture in the air. Avoid sitting too close to radiators and when in a car, avoid having the heating vents blowing hot air at your face.
8 GET YOUR EYES CHECKED: The NHS recommend we visit the opticians every two years for a check-up. However, there are some cases where it’s advisable to visit the optometrist more regularly.
Dry eye problems can rapidly descend into a vicious cycle because anything which disrupts the tear film will also compromise the surface of the eye — and this leads to further interference to the tear film if left untreated. Breaking this toxic cycle is crucial to the success of any dry eye therapy. However, most dry eye products only hydrate and fail to restore and aid protection too. The novel Tearshield Technology used in Rohto Dry Aid utilises eye-care science not previously seen in the UK and deploys multiple modes of action to hydrate, restore and protect areas of dryness and restore all the multi-layers of the tear film. As a result, this latest innovation from Rohto Dry Aid breaks the toxic cycle.
Selling for an incredible £75,220 in 2016, these well-worn trainers proved the combined power of classic sneakers and celebrity endorsement. The shoes shot to fame after Michael Jordan wore them in 1997 for his famous ‘flu game’ (a game in which he managed to score 38 points despite being ill). After the game, Jordan gave the signed sneakers to a ball boy, who later made a hefty profit from the iconic shoes.
Inspired by a pop-culture classic, these fun and futuristic trainers fetched £143,580 in 2016. These sneakers were sold by the Michael J. Fox Foundation (which funds research into Parkinson’s disease), and they were designed based on Fox’s 1989 hit film, 
The third most expensive trainers of all time were a pair of the extremely limited edition “Moon Shoes”, handmade by Nike’s co-founder, Bill Bowerman. This pair of historic sneakers sold for an impressive £314,075 ($437,500) in 2019. As the story goes, the sole of these early prototypes was created when Bowerman decided to experiment with his wife’s waffle iron. By pouring rubber into the waffle iron mould, the first ‘waffle sole’ was created – a major innovation in the trainer world. These particular sneakers soon became known as the “Moon Shoe” because of the resemblance between the waffle sole and the impression left on the surface of the moon by the astronauts who first made it there in 1969.
The signature of Michael Jordan, the undeniable king of sneakers, reappears in second place on these iconic Nike Air Jordan 1s. These trainers sold for £402,015.60 ($560,000) at Sotheby’s in 2020, breaking the record for the most expensive trainers ever at the time. When they went to auction, these shoes were only expected to fetch between £71,780 and £107,670, but they ended up selling for nearly five times that price. Michael Jordan’s signature in permanent marker on the right shoe certainly sweetened the deal, not to mention the fact that he wore these very trainers in a game in 1985.
Michael Jordan, move aside. A new player has entered the arena. Earlier this year, the world record for the most expensive trainers was smashed once again with the sale of a pair of Nike Air Yeezy 1s for a breathtaking £1.2 million ($1.8 million). These A-List sneakers were worn by Kanye West during his performance of ‘Hey Mama’ and ‘Stronger’ at the 50th annual Grammy awards in 2008. One of the first pairs designed by Kanye West with Nike, these iconic shoes feature classic Yeezy design signatures, including the Yeezy forefoot strap and the “Y” medallion lace locks in vivid pink. This incredible sale blew the previous 2020 world record out of the water, nearly tripling the amount fetched by the Nike Air Jordan 1s.
Octovia Fossatti – Panama
Previn Samuel – Mumbai