Dry eye relief in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta’s dry-eye triggers are mostly man-made: long commutes with the vents running, offices cooled for half the year, and frequent flights out of Hartsfield-Jackson. Outdoors, April afternoons are the driest, near 49 percent humidity. Aim air away from your face, blink fully at screens, pack drops in your carry-on, and use a lubricating drop exactly as labeled. Eye pain or vision changes need an eye doctor.

Atlanta’s climate, as NOAA records it

The city’s official weather station is at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, about 1,010 feet above sea level on the Piedmont. From NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals:

• Roughly 50.4 inches of precipitation a year, spread fairly evenly across the seasons.
• October is the driest month, averaging about 3.28 inches, and July the wettest at 4.75.
• July highs average 90.1°F and lows 71.8°F, with about 47 days a year at 90°F or more.
• January runs from a 35.6°F average low to a 54.0°F average high.
• There are only about 36 freezing nights a year, and snow averages a scant 2.2 inches.

Commutes on the Connector and I-285

Time stuck on the Downtown Connector or the Perimeter is time spent staring ahead, blinking less, with a dashboard vent a foot from your face. In summer that vent blows cold, dry air; in January the heater does the same job in reverse. Both speed up evaporation from the tear film.

• Angle the center vents toward your hands or the roof, not your eyes.
• Switch the fan to a lower speed once the car reaches temperature.
• Wear sunglasses on bright mornings, since squinting into glare wears on the eyes.
• On MARTA, pick a seat away from the overhead air outlets if you can.

Never put drops in while the car is moving. Our guide to dry eyes for rideshare drivers covers the timing for people who spend their whole day behind the wheel.

Flying out of Hartsfield-Jackson

Many Atlantans fly often, and airplane cabins are known for very dry air. The TSA’s liquids rule allows containers of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less in a single quart-size bag in your carry-on, and a .33 fl oz (10 mL) bottle of Quell fits easily. Keep it in your personal item so it stays in the cabin with you, out of the cold of the cargo hold. More on packing is in traveling with eye drops.

April afternoons and the Beltline

NOAA’s relative humidity table gives Atlanta an April afternoon average of 49 percent, the lowest of the year, with March and May both near 52. That’s when the city lives outside: walkers and cyclists on the Eastside Trail, picnics in Piedmont Park, early Braves games. Mornings start damp, around 78 percent, then the sun and a spring breeze dry things out by midafternoon. Bring sunglasses, take shade breaks, and keep a bottle in your bag instead of a hot car.

Summer: muggy outside, chilly inside

July and August afternoons hold near 58 percent humidity, and mornings reach the high 80s. Nobody in Midtown would call that dry. Yet the offices, gyms and malls people retreat into keep the air conditioning cranked from May through September, and that’s where eyes feel it. If you work under a ceiling vent, a small desk fan aimed at your torso or a move a few feet over can make a difference. Screen breaks help too, because focused screen work slows blinking, and blinking is what spreads fresh tears.

What the Quell label covers

Quell is designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss. The Uses on the Drug Facts panel read: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. The directions read: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. Check the caution before ordering: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only. The label adds a storage range: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). A car parked at a Georgia mall in July can get far hotter than that inside. The complete panel is on the Drug Facts page.

Getting Quell in metro Atlanta

Quell ships from Brentwood, Tennessee, to Atlanta, Decatur, Marietta, Alpharetta and anywhere else in the United States. Checkout doesn’t require an account, and orders of 3 or more bottles ship free. We send tracking by email, though we don’t promise when a package will arrive. Local details are on the Atlanta page and the Georgia page.

When an eye doctor is the right call

Drops are for the ordinary dryness of a busy city life. If your eyes hurt, your vision blurs and stays blurry, or one eye is much worse than the other, make an appointment. The label’s rule is simple: 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.