Dry eye relief in Antioch, California

Antioch’s dry eyes usually come from heat plus wind. NOAA’s normals for the Antioch station show about 64 days a year at 90°F or hotter and almost no rain from June through September, and the afternoon breeze funneling through the Delta speeds tear evaporation. Shielding your eyes from wind and car vents, blinking fully and using a lubricating drop as labeled all help. Ongoing symptoms deserve an eye doctor’s look.

What NOAA’s Antioch station shows

NOAA’s weather station at the Antioch pumping plant sits close to the river, about 60 feet above sea level. Its 1991 to 2020 normals:

• Normal yearly precipitation is 12.60 inches, falling on roughly 30 days.
• July’s normal rainfall is zero; August’s is two hundredths of an inch.
• Average highs reach 91.4°F in July and 90.2°F in August.
• About 64 days a year hit 90°F, and close to 10 reach 100°F.
• Summer nights are mild, with July lows around 61°F.
• January is the wettest month at 2.68 inches, with highs near 56°F, and freezing nights are rare, about seven a year.

Those mild summer nights are a clue to what makes Antioch different from the valley towns farther inland: ocean air reaches it. That same air movement is part of why eyes here dry out.

The Delta breeze

Antioch sits on the San Joaquin River where it widens into the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. National Weather Service forecast discussions from the Sacramento office describe the “delta breeze,” onshore wind that pushes inland through the Delta on warm afternoons, often with the strongest gusts right through the Delta itself. It cools things down. It also keeps the air moving across your face for hours.

Moving air pulls moisture from the tear film faster than still air does. On a breezy afternoon at the marina, on the fishing pier, or walking the waterfront downtown, that adds up. Habits that help when the wind is up:

• Wear wraparound sunglasses; they block wind from the sides that flat lenses let through.
• Face away from the wind when you stop to talk or rest.
• On a boat, keep a brimmed hat and sunglasses on, and sit behind the windshield when underway.
• Indoors, close windows on the windward side when gusts carry dust.

Heat without much humidity

NOAA’s humidity table doesn’t include Antioch, so Stockton, about 30 miles east across the Delta, is the nearest listed station. Its afternoon humidity averages 27 percent in July and 29 percent in August. Combine that with a 90-degree day and the air is thirsty.

Air conditioning takes over indoors through the long warm season, and AC dries air as it cools. Eyes feel it most in the places where cold air blows directly: the car, a desk under a ceiling vent, or a bedroom with a wall unit aimed at the bed. Redirect those vents and your eyes have less to fight.

The Highway 4 commute

Many Antioch residents spend a long stretch of the day commuting west on Highway 4 or riding BART toward Oakland and San Francisco. In the car, that can mean an hour or more with the air conditioner on and the sun low in the windshield. Squinting into glare partly closes the eyes without a proper blink.

• Set the fan to the lowest speed that keeps you comfortable and aim it below your face.
• Use recirculate on hot, dusty days.
• Wear sunglasses for the morning and evening sun.
• If your eyes need a drop, wait until you’ve parked or pulled over safely. Never use drops while driving.

On the train, phone and tablet screens are the bigger factor. People blink less while reading a screen. Look up and out the window every few minutes, and blink slowly a few times.

Dust, dry hills and fire season

By midsummer the grassy hills around Antioch and the slopes toward Mount Diablo turn golden and dry. Wind lifts dust from those hills, from construction sites in fast-growing neighborhoods, and from open land along the river. Gardeners, contractors and anyone working outside get a steady dose of fine grit with the dry air. Wash your hands before touching your eyes, and wear safety glasses for yard work and job sites. If something feels lodged in your eye, have an eye doctor check it rather than rubbing.

A lubricating drop for Antioch weather

According to its Drug Facts label, Quell’s Uses are: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. It’s designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss, which matters most when wind and dry heat are both working on your eyes. The label’s directions are Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. And whenever you open the bottle: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.

Windy, hot weeks don’t change those directions. If three drops a day don’t seem to keep up, talk with your eye doctor instead of using more. Store the bottle as the label says, Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F), and keep it out of a parked car on a 100-degree afternoon.

Ordering Quell in Antioch

Orders ship from Brentwood, Tennessee, to East Contra Costa County addresses for $10.00, free with 3 or more bottles. No delivery date is promised. You can check out as a guest. The Antioch page has local details, and the California page lists other cities.

When to see an eye doctor in Antioch

Relief from a drop is one thing; finding out why dryness keeps coming back, and caring for it, is an eye doctor’s work. Book a visit if symptoms continue after the hot season, or sooner if your vision changes. The label spells out when to stop using it: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours. Eye symptoms that need a doctor lists the warning signs.