Dry eye relief in Pueblo, Colorado

Dry eye relief in Pueblo means planning around sun, heat and wind. NOAA’s records show about 72 days a year at 90°F or hotter, spring afternoons near 30 percent humidity, and April as the windiest month. Wear wraparound sunglasses outdoors, keep air conditioning and heater vents off your face, take screen breaks, and use a lubricating drop exactly as its label says. Pain or vision changes need an eye doctor.

Pueblo’s climate in NOAA’s normals

The official station is at Pueblo Memorial Airport, east of town at about 1,439 meters, close to 4,720 feet. Its 1991 to 2020 normals describe a sunny, semi-arid place on the Arkansas River:

• 12.02 inches of precipitation in a normal year.
• 5.28 inches of that falls from June through August, with August the wettest month at 2.11 inches.
• December through February adds up to only 0.90 inches.
• 28.3 inches of snow in a typical year, which usually melts fast in the sun.
• About 72 days at 90°F or higher, including roughly 12 days at 100°F or more.

Summer storms supply most of the rain, often in short afternoon bursts, and the air dries out again soon after. Winter is the parched season for precipitation, yet Pueblo winter afternoons are often mild enough for a walk.

Hot summer afternoons on the Arkansas

July’s normal high is 93.4°F. NOAA’s relative humidity table gives June afternoons 29 percent and July 32 percent, against mornings in the low 60s. That’s the window when your eyes lose water fastest, whether you’re fishing below Pueblo Dam, paddling at Lake Pueblo State Park or walking the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk after work. Water reflects sun up into the eyes, so the glare adds to the strain.

• Get outside early; morning humidity is about double the afternoon figure.
• Choose sunglasses that curve around the sides of your face.
• Take a few slow, complete blinks whenever you come in out of the heat.
• Keep a bottle of drops out of the car between uses; a parked car in a Pueblo summer gets far warmer than the label allows.

State Fair season and dusty days

Late summer brings the Colorado State Fair and its fairgrounds, livestock barns, rodeo arena and midway. Long hours outdoors in sun, dust and crowds can leave eyes gritty by evening. Bring sunglasses, clean your hands before touching your face, and step into a shaded building now and then. If you need a drop while you’re out, find somewhere you can wash your hands first and follow the bottle’s directions.

April wind and the spring dry spell

NOAA’s average wind speed table puts April at the top of Pueblo’s year, with December the calmest month. Spring afternoons also run dry, about 30 percent humidity in April. Wind carries grit off open ground east of town and pulls moisture off the eye at the same time. On those days, keep car windows up on the highway, point vents away from your face, and wear glasses outdoors even when it’s cloudy.

Mild winter days, cold nights, dry rooms

Pueblo winters swing hard between day and night. January averages a high of 48.4°F and a low of 15.4°F, a spread of 33 degrees, and only about 14 days a year stay at or below freezing all afternoon. Furnaces kick on each evening as the temperature drops, which is when indoor air turns driest. NOAA puts December and January afternoons near 50 percent humidity outdoors, but heated indoor air holds far less. A humidifier in the bedroom and a cooler thermostat at night help, and our guide to waking up with dry eyes in winter has more ideas.

Quell’s label, in brief

Quell is 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. The directions say: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. Check the caution before buying: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only.

The label also says Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F), which matters in a city with dozens of days above 90°F. Keep the bottle in a bag that comes inside with you. Our Drug Facts page shows every line of the panel.

Buying Quell in Pueblo

Quell is sold online and ships from Brentwood, Tennessee, to Pueblo, Pueblo West and the rest of the country. Guest checkout is the only kind; shipping is $10.00, and 3 or more bottles ship free. We email tracking, but no delivery date is promised. If a bottle is still unopened, you can get a refund within 30 days of delivery without returning it. The Pueblo page and the Colorado page have more.

Seeing an eye doctor

Drops are for everyday dryness. Working out why your eyes keep bothering you belongs to an eye doctor, and 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. Dust or grit that won’t rinse out, or an eye that hurts after a windy day, is a reason to call sooner.