Dry eye relief in Miami, Florida

In Miami, dry eyes rarely come from the outdoor air. They come from air conditioning that runs nearly year-round, sea breezes, sun glare and long screen days. The dry season, roughly November to April, brings afternoons near 55 percent humidity. Keep vents off your face, wear sunglasses on the water, blink fully at screens, and use a lubricating drop as its label directs. Pain or vision changes need an eye doctor.

Miami’s two seasons: wet and dry

South Florida doesn’t have four seasons so much as two. The National Weather Service office in Miami studied 42 years of records at Miami International Airport and found the wet season’s median start was May 21 and its median end October 17. That stretch of about 152 days brought about 69 percent of the year’s rain. The rest of the year, the office notes, has cooler temperatures, lower humidity and less frequent rain.

NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for the airport back that up:

• Normal precipitation is 67.41 inches a year.
• June (10.51 inches) and September (10.22) are the wettest months.
• November through April together total about 15.8 inches, with January the driest month at 1.83.
• About 91 days a year reach 90°F, but the airport has no 100°F days and no freezing nights in a normal year.
• The station sits at about 29 feet above sea level.

Is Miami humid in winter?

Less than in summer, though still humid by most of the country’s standards. NOAA’s relative humidity table gives Miami morning averages in the low 80s all year. Afternoons are where the seasons show: 59 percent in January, 57 in February and 55 in March and April, compared with 66 percent in September. A breezy, sunny March afternoon on Key Biscayne is drier air than many visitors expect.

Dry season is also when the city fills with visitors and snowbirds, and when people spend the most time outdoors: beaches, outdoor dining, Art Basel crowds, weekend boating. Long days in sun and wind make dry eyes more likely, even when the humidity reading looks comfortable.

Air conditioning: the real dry climate in Miami

With normal highs from the mid-70s in January to above 90°F in August, Miami keeps the air conditioning on almost every day. An air conditioner removes water as it cools, and the fans that circulate that air are often aimed right at people: car dash vents, ceiling diffusers over office desks, ceiling fans over beds. Spending most waking hours in that air is what dries out eyes in a humid city.

• Angle car vents toward your chest, and lower the fan once the car has cooled.
• In condos and offices, look for a supply vent above where you sit, and redirect it or move your chair.
• At night, slow the ceiling fan or set the thermostat a degree warmer so the system cycles less.
• Change filters on schedule so the unit doesn’t run longer than it needs to.

Sea breeze, boats and glare

An afternoon sea breeze off the Atlantic is part of Miami life, and on the beach or a boat on Biscayne Bay it blows across your eyes for hours. Glare off sand and water makes people squint, which tends to shorten blinks. Polarized sunglasses with side coverage cut both glare and wind. After swimming in the ocean, rinse your face with fresh water before touching your eyes, and avoid rubbing them with sandy hands.

Our guide to dry air, wind and altitude explains how moving air speeds evaporation, even at sea level.

Rainy season: what changes

From late May to mid-October, afternoon storms build almost daily and humidity stays high. Outdoor air is easy on the tear film, but people spend even more time indoors in cold, dry rooms to escape the heat. Storm days also mean more hours at screens. A reminder to look away and blink every 20 minutes helps regardless of the season. If a hurricane knocks out power, store drops somewhere cool and shaded; the label sets a range: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F).

What the Quell label says

Quell is a preservative-free lubricating eye drop designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss. Its Uses read: 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. Handling: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.

Read this caution first: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only. The label doesn’t address contact lenses, children or using it with other eye drops; ask your eye doctor or pharmacist about those. See every line on the Drug Facts page.

Ordering Quell to Miami

Quell ships from Brentwood, Tennessee, to Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Hialeah and the rest of Florida. Checkout works as a guest. Shipping is $10.00, or free on 3 or more bottles. You’ll get a tracking email once it ships, but no delivery date is promised. If you’re a snowbird, ship to the address where you’ll be when it arrives. Unopened bottles are refundable within 30 days of delivery without being returned. See the Miami page, the Florida page, or the home page.

When to see an eye doctor

Lubricating drops are for everyday dryness and irritation. If it keeps returning, an eye doctor can work out the cause and what to do about it. The label says 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.

Sand, a fishhook, coral or anything else that injures the eye needs prompt medical care. For ongoing symptoms, the dry eye self-check can help you describe them; it’s not a diagnosis.