Dry eye relief in Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines puts eyes through a lot in one year: open-prairie wind, winters with about ten nights below zero, hot and humid summers, and dusty air at harvest. Relief means blocking wind outdoors, adding moisture indoors when the furnace runs, keeping dust out of your eyes in fall, and using a lubricating drop exactly as labeled. Persistent pain or vision changes need an eye doctor.

Des Moines weather by the numbers

NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Des Moines International Airport, at about 957 feet above sea level, describe a classic Midwestern swing between extremes:

• January’s normal low is 13.8°F, and about 10 nights a year drop below zero.
• Close to 128 nights a year reach freezing or colder, and roughly 45 days stay at or below freezing all the way through.
• July’s normal high is 85.6°F, and the airport averages 22 days a year at 90°F or above.
• Snow averages 36.5 inches a season.
• January is the driest month at 1.08 inches of precipitation; May and June are the wettest, both above 5.2 inches.

That range matters because each end of it dries the eyes differently. Winter does it through heated indoor air, summer through air conditioning, and the shoulder seasons through wind.

Wind with nothing to stop it

Central Iowa is open country. Away from downtown’s buildings, there are few hills or forests to slow a northwest wind in winter or a south wind in spring. Waiting at a DART stop, crossing a parking lot at Jordan Creek, or walking the trails along the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers can mean a steady breeze straight into your face.

NOAA’s humidity table shows Des Moines afternoons at their driest in April, averaging 54 percent, with October close behind at 55. Those are breezy months with the windows open, and many people feel their eyes most then. Wraparound sunglasses help more than you’d expect, and so does turning your shoulder to the wind instead of squinting into it.

Harvest dust in the fall

From late September into November, combines work the fields around Polk County, and dry chaff and soil dust can drift for miles on a windy day. On the farm or in a grain elevator it’s much heavier. Dust is an irritant, and it’s a different problem from dryness, though the two often arrive together.

• On fieldwork days, wear sealed safety glasses or goggles instead of regular sunglasses.
• Close the truck or cab windows and run the cabin air filter on dusty roads.
• If grit gets in your eye, don’t rub it. Blink, let tears work, and rinse with clean water if your workplace provides an eyewash.
• Wash your face and hands before using any drop, so dust on your fingers doesn’t end up in the eye.
• If something feels stuck, or the scratchy feeling continues after rinsing, see an eye doctor rather than waiting it out.

Below-zero winters and the furnace

NOAA’s Des Moines figures show January mornings at 78 percent humidity outdoors. Heat that frigid air to room temperature and its relative humidity plunges, which is why homes, offices and classrooms feel parched by midwinter. Downtown workers have one more factor: the skywalk system lets people cross much of downtown without going outside, so a winter workday can pass entirely in heated, circulated air.

A bedroom humidifier, vents angled away from beds and desks, and frequent breaks from screens make the biggest difference. Winter heating and dry eyes has more ideas for the heated months.

State Fair heat and summer air conditioning

August mornings in Des Moines average 86 percent humidity, the stickiest in NOAA’s table, and that’s when the Iowa State Fair draws crowds into the sun and dust of the fairgrounds. Long days outdoors bring squinting, sunscreen drifting into eyes and fewer full blinks. Then comes the air-conditioned car ride home. Sunglasses, a hat and keeping sunscreen away from the eyelids help.

How a drop like Quell fits

Quell’s label lists its Uses as: 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. The directions read: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. That spacing fits an Iowa day: one in the morning, one around lunch and one in the evening. Before every drop, remember the handling line: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.

Temperature matters with this climate. The carton’s storage line reads: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). A pickup cab parked outside in January is far colder, and a summer dashboard far hotter, so keep the bottle in your coat or bag. The label’s “Do not use” line reads: If this product changes color. The full Drug Facts panel includes the egg and bird allergy caution.

Ordering to Des Moines

Quell ships from Brentwood, Tennessee, to Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale and the rest of the metro. Check out as a guest, pay $10.00 for shipping, or get free shipping on 3 bottles or more. A tracking email follows shipment, with no promised arrival date. Unopened bottles can be refunded within 30 days of delivery, and you don’t send them back. Visit the Des Moines page or the Iowa page for more.

When to book an eye doctor

Drops are for everyday dryness. If your eyes still bother you after the wind dies down, or after harvest dust clears, an eye doctor should work out the cause and what to do about it. The label’s own stopping point: 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.

See eye symptoms that need a doctor for the signs that shouldn’t wait, or take the quick self-check; it’s not a diagnosis.