Winter's Hidden Toll: Eye Problems Surge as Cold, Heating Strain Vision

Each winter, as heating systems hum to life and cold winds sweep through open doorways, the eyes quietly bear a burden that few think to name. Across the region, ophthalmologists are witnessing a seasonal surge in conjunctivitis, dry eye syndrome, and blefaritis — conditions born from the collision of dry indoor air, viral respiratory illness, and the body's own vulnerability. Specialists like Katherina Pavani of Andrés Bello University remind us that the eyes, so central to how we move through the world, deserve the same seasonal care we extend to the rest of the body.