Dry eye relief and eye drop help in Port St. Lucie

Port St. Lucie feels humid most of the year, but its eyes still dry out, mainly in the winter and spring dry season and in air-conditioned rooms. NOAA’s humidity table for Vero Beach, the nearest station with one, shows afternoons averaging 55 percent in March and April against 67 in September. Quell’s label directions for dryness: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. Steps for getting drops in are below.

The Treasure Coast’s dry season, in numbers

NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the Fort Pierce station, in St. Lucie County just north of the city, show how lopsided the rain is. December’s normal is 2.41 inches and February’s 2.80, while August brings 7.25 inches and September 8.21. Winter days are mild, with a normal January high of 72.4°F and a low of 53.0°F, and August highs run to 89.2°F.

NOAA’s Comparative Climatic Data table for Vero Beach, built from 1949–2018 observations, fills in the humidity. Mornings stay very moist all year, around 88 percent in January and February. Afternoons are a different story in spring: 55 percent in March and April, the driest of the year. That’s the season of spring training at Clover Park, golf at PGA Village and afternoons on the river, which means more time outside right when the air is driest.

Sea breezes, the river and the sun

The North Fork of the St. Lucie River winds through the city, and the beaches on Hutchinson Island are a short drive east. The afternoon sea breeze off the Atlantic is part of every day here, and a steady wind moves moisture off the eye even when the air feels sticky. Glare off water and white sand makes people squint, which is tiring in its own way.

• Polarized sunglasses cut glare off the river and the Intracoastal.
• A wide-brimmed hat shades the eyes on the golf course or a long walk.
• Rinse sunscreen off your hands before touching the bottle or your eyes; it stings.
• Keep the bottle in a shaded bag, not a beach tote baking on the sand.

Living in air conditioning

Most Port St. Lucie homes run the air conditioning for much of the year, and it dries the air as it cools it. A ceiling fan on high adds a steady breeze across the face, especially in bed. If your eyes feel dry first thing in the morning, check whether a vent or fan points at your pillow. Dry eyes in a hotel room has more ideas for rooms that run cold and dry, and most of them work at home too.

Help with eye drops: how to put them in

Many searches from St. Lucie County ask for help with eye drops themselves, which makes sense: a drop that runs down your cheek does nothing. Quell’s label gives the dose, Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye, and one rule for the bottle: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination. Within those, a routine that works for most people:

• Wash and dry your hands.
• Check the bottle. Quell is Product appears as a milky brown solution, which is normal; if the color has changed from how it arrived, don’t use it.
• Sit down, or lie back on a couch with your head supported, and tilt your head back.
• With one finger, gently pull the lower lid down to make a small pocket.
• Look up, hold the bottle above the eye without letting the tip touch your eye, lashes or fingers, and squeeze once.
• Close the eye gently for a moment and don’t squeeze it shut, then do the other eye.
• Put the cap back on right away.

If your hands shake, rest the hand holding the bottle on your forehead or the bridge of your nose so it moves with your head. If you keep missing, lying flat makes aiming easier. Ask a pharmacist to watch you do it once if you’re still unsure; they can suggest what works with your hands. Quell doesn’t sell aids or strips for applying drops, and the label doesn’t mention any, so ask a pharmacist before using a device with them. How to use eye drops as directed covers the label side in more depth.

Heat and the bottle

A car parked at Tradition or along US-1 in August is far hotter than the 89.2°F air outside it. Quell’s storage line reads: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). Carry the bottle in, and keep spares in a closet rather than a garage or a lanai.

Ordering to Port St. Lucie

Quell ships from Brentwood, Tennessee, to Florida addresses, and orders to Port St. Lucie, Tradition and St. Lucie West all go the same way. Shipping is $10.00, or free with 3 bottles. No delivery date is promised, so reorder before you’re down to your last few days. See the Port St. Lucie page and the Florida page for more.

When to call an eye doctor

Dryness from wind, sun and air conditioning is common, but persistent symptoms deserve a proper look. Working out what’s causing them, and what to do, is an eye doctor’s job. The label lists when to stop using drops and call one: 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.