Dry eye relief in Columbus, Ohio

Dry eye relief in Columbus shifts with the seasons. Spring afternoons are the driest outdoors, summer brings air conditioning, and from November on the furnace takes over, with NOAA counting about 103 freezing nights a year. Point vents away from your eyes, blink fully during long screen days, wear sunglasses at outdoor games, and use a lubricating drop as its label directs.

Central Ohio’s climate, from NOAA

NOAA’s official Columbus station is at John Glenn Columbus International Airport on the east side, about 810 feet above sea level. The 1991 to 2020 normals:

• About 41.57 inches of precipitation a year; July is the wettest month at 4.67 inches.
• About 28.2 inches of snow, most of it from December through February (22.2 inches).
• About 21 days a year at 90°F or above, with July highs averaging 85.4°F.
• 103.2 nights at or below freezing and about 28 days when the high stays at or below 32°F.
• January highs near 37.1°F and lows near 22.0°F.

Compared with the lake cities to the north, Columbus gets far less snow (Cleveland’s airport normal is about 63.8 inches) and hotter summers. Both shape how its homes and offices handle air.

Why spring is the driest time outdoors

NOAA’s relative humidity table gives Columbus an April afternoon average of 52 percent, its lowest of the year, with May at 53. March and April are often breezy, and lower humidity plus wind is when eyes outdoors feel it most: a spring run along the Scioto Mile, a round of golf, or a weekend clearing the yard.

• Wear wraparound sunglasses on windy days, not just sunny ones.
• Schedule long outdoor work for the morning, when NOAA’s April figure is 75 percent.
• Wash your hands after yard work before touching your face.
• Carry a bottle in a jacket pocket for long afternoons outside.

Air conditioning from June to September

Columbus summers are warm and muggy, with August and September mornings at 85 to 86 percent humidity in NOAA’s table, and the air conditioner runs most days. NOAA’s normals put cooling degree days at about 1,068 a year. Cooled air carries less moisture and keeps moving, so downtown offices, lecture halls on campus and long commutes on I-270 can all leave eyes dry by afternoon.

Point car and desk vents away from your face, and rest your eyes from the screen every so often by looking out a window and blinking slowly. Screens and your tear film explains why concentrated screen work slows blinking.

Game days at the Horseshoe

Fall Saturdays mean hours in Ohio Stadium or at a tailgate, often in a cold wind by November, when NOAA puts normal highs at 52.3°F. Sitting in a stadium bowl, squinting into low sun and breathing grill smoke all tax the eyes. Sunglasses for day games and a few minutes with your eyes closed at halftime are easy wins. Wherever your bottle rides on game day, keep it close to your body: the label’s storage line reads Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F), and a car left in a lot through a cold November evening drops below that.

Heating season in Columbus

From November into March, heating takes over. NOAA counts about 5,233 heating degree days a year in Columbus. The furnace warms cold outdoor air without adding water, so a house at a comfortable 68°F can still have dry air, even when NOAA’s table shows outdoor afternoons around 68 percent humidity in December and January. A bedroom humidifier, closed vents near the bed and the furnace fan on auto can make winter nights easier on the eyes.

Quell and the label

Quell is designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss. That oil sits on top of the watery layer of tears and slows evaporation, which matters in air-conditioned and heated rooms alike. The Drug Facts panel lists its Uses as “For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye,” and the directions say Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye.

Read the warnings line too: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only. The label’s handling instruction is worth taking literally: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination. Every section is on the Drug Facts page.

Ordering Quell to Columbus

Quell ships from Brentwood, Tennessee, to Columbus, Dublin, Westerville, Hilliard, Grove City and the rest of the country. Guest checkout means no account; shipping is $10.00, and orders of 3 or more bottles ship free. You’ll get a shipping email with tracking. Since no delivery date is promised, order before you’re down to the last few drops. Unopened bottles can be refunded within 30 days of delivery, with nothing to send back. See the Columbus page or the Ohio page.

When to see an eye doctor

If dryness hangs on, an eye doctor can find what’s behind it and what to do about it. The label is specific about stopping: 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 pain, vision changes, or symptoms that return as soon as you stop using drops are all reasons to make an appointment. Eye symptoms that need a doctor describes more.