Dry eye relief in Houston, Texas

Houston’s outdoor air is humid, with mornings averaging 89 percent in NOAA’s records, so dry eyes there usually start indoors. Air conditioning runs for most of the year, and its cooled, drier air blows across faces at desks, in cars and in bedrooms. Redirect vents and ceiling fans, take screen breaks, and use a lubricating drop as its label directs. Pain or vision changes need an eye doctor.

Houston is humid, so why are my eyes dry?

NOAA’s relative humidity table for Houston Intercontinental Airport gives an average of 89 percent in the morning and 59 percent in the afternoon across the year. In July and August, mornings run at 93 percent. That is humid air by any measure, and the tear film loses water slowly in it.

The trouble is how little of the day most Houstonians spend in that air. Commutes happen in cooled cars, workdays happen in cooled offices, and nights happen in cooled bedrooms. An air conditioner works by pulling heat and water out of the air it moves, and its fans push that drier air across the room. Spend nine hours with a ceiling diffuser over your desk and your eyes have been in a very different climate from the one on the weather app.

Heat that keeps the air conditioning on

NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Intercontinental, north of the city, show why the compressor rarely rests:

• About 111 days a year reach 90°F or higher; Hobby Airport, closer to the bay, averages about 100.
• August’s normal high is 94.9°F, with July close behind.
• Even January averages a high of 63.8°F, so warm spells and the cooling that goes with them can show up in any month.
• Freezing nights are rare: about 10 a year at Intercontinental and 4 at Hobby.

Put together, that adds up to a cooling season measured in months, with only short breaks when a front comes through.

Making air conditioning easier on your eyes

You don’t have to sweat to save your eyes. Small changes in where the air goes do most of the work:

• In the car, close or angle the center vents so they hit your chest, and use the floor setting when it’s cool enough.
• At the office, check the ceiling for a diffuser aimed at your chair. Facilities teams can often adjust the louvers.
• At home, set the bedroom ceiling fan to a lower speed, or turn it off once the room is cool.
• Change the air filter on schedule; a clogged system runs longer to reach the same temperature.
• Use a small humidifier in a bedroom only if the room feels dry; Houston homes rarely need much added moisture.

Rain, flooding and outdoor time

Houston gets about 52 inches of rain a year at Intercontinental and closer to 56 at Hobby, with June the wettest month. Intercontinental averages around 64 days a year with a tenth of an inch or more. Rain itself doesn’t dry eyes, but storms and flooding can bring dirty water and debris. If floodwater or anything from it splashes into your eyes, rinse with clean water and call a doctor rather than reaching for lubricating drops.

On clear days, glare off concrete, Galveston Bay and the water along Buffalo Bayou makes people squint. Sunglasses with side coverage help with glare and with the breeze on a boat or at a ballgame.

Long shifts in the Medical Center and the energy corridor

A big share of Houston works long, focused shifts: hospital floors in the Texas Medical Center, control rooms along the Ship Channel, trading desks on the west side. Focused work means fewer blinks, and these buildings are kept cold. Setting a reminder to look away from screens every 20 minutes and blink fully a few times costs almost nothing. Our guide to dry eyes on long nursing shifts has more for hospital workers.

What the Quell label says

Quell is a lubricating eye drop designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss. The label’s Uses line reads: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. Directions: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. A handling rule worth keeping: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.

Check the caution before using it: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only. Because a parked car in a Houston summer gets far hotter than the label allows, follow the storage line too: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). The label doesn’t cover contact lenses or using Quell alongside other eye drops; ask your eye doctor or pharmacist. Every line is on the Drug Facts page.

Ordering eye drops in Houston

Quell ships from Brentwood, Tennessee, to Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pasadena and the rest of the metro. Checkout works as a guest. Shipping is $10.00, and free on 3 or more bottles. Tracking arrives by email, but no delivery date is promised, so don’t wait until the last drop. Unopened bottles can be refunded within 30 days of delivery, without returning them. See the Houston page, the Texas page, or the home page.

When to call an eye doctor

Lubricating drops are meant for everyday dryness. When it keeps coming back, an eye doctor can work out the cause and what to do about it. The label lists when to stop: 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.

The dry eye self-check can help you note when and where your eyes feel worst, which is useful to bring to an appointment; it’s not a diagnosis.