Dry eye relief in Richmond, Kentucky

In Richmond, Kentucky, dry eyes tend to flare in two stretches: the dry late summer and early fall, and the heating months from November through March. Furnace air, long I-75 drives and study sessions at Eastern Kentucky University all pull moisture from the eye. Blinking breaks, a humidifier, keeping vents off your face and a lubricating drop used as labeled cover everyday dryness. An eye doctor should check anything persistent or painful.

Richmond’s rainfall and temperatures

NOAA has a rain gauge in Richmond at the Kentucky State Police post, and its 1991 to 2020 normals give a clear picture of the year’s wet and dry months. Temperature normals come from the nearest station that records them, at Berea College, a short drive south:

• About 48.1 inches of precipitation a year in Richmond.
• September is the driest month at 2.66 inches, and August is second at 3.32.
• July and May are the wettest, each close to 5 inches.
• Berea’s January normal high is 45.3°F, with a low of 28.7°F.
• About 84 nights a year reach freezing or below there.
• July highs average 86.8°F, with about 21 days a year at 90°F or more.

Why late summer and fall hit eyes hard

With September and August as Richmond’s two driest months, the land is often at its driest just as people head outdoors for football, festivals and cooler evenings. NOAA’s humidity record for nearby Lexington shows September and October afternoons averaging 55 percent relative humidity, among the lowest of the year, and April lower still at 54 percent.

Dry ground means dust. Hay and tobacco fields, gravel lanes and construction along the growing edges of town all put fine particles in the air, and a breeze carries them into eyes. Grit plus dry air makes eyes feel scratchy. Sunglasses, especially wraparound ones, keep a lot of it out, and washing your hands before touching your face helps too.

Heating season in Madison County

The Lexington record shows winter afternoons that look humid on paper, near 68 percent in January. But cold air carries little water, and when a furnace heats it to room temperature, relative humidity indoors falls well below that. With more than 80 freezing nights a year, the heat in most Richmond homes runs for months.

• Run a humidifier in the bedroom, and clean it on the schedule its maker sets.
• Close or redirect heat registers that blow straight at a bed, couch or desk chair.
• Keep space heaters pointed at your legs, not your face.
• Drink water through the day; dry indoor air dries more than your eyes.

Our guide to space heaters and dry eyes goes into more detail.

EKU, I-75 and daily life

Richmond’s days revolve around a few places, and each has its own effect on eyes:

• Eastern Kentucky University’s classrooms, labs and libraries, where long reading sessions mean fewer blinks.
• The I-75 commute north to Lexington, with vents running and eyes fixed on traffic.
• Warehouse, manufacturing and hospital shifts that run long under bright lights and steady airflow.
• Weekends at Fort Boonesborough State Park on the Kentucky River, or on trails in the Berea forest to the south, often in wind and sun.

A focused screen session is one of the most common reasons eyes feel dry by late afternoon. Every few minutes, look away from the screen and blink completely, so the upper lid meets the lower one. How blinking spreads tears explains why full blinks matter.

What Quell’s label covers

Quell is an over-the-counter lubricating eye drop. The label’s Uses line is: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. The directions are: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. It’s designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss, the main issue with heated or windy air.

The active ingredients are Glycerol (1.0%), Polysorbate 80 (1.0%) and Light Mineral Oil (0.5%). The warnings section reads: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only. If you’re unsure whether the drop suits you, a Richmond pharmacist can review the label with you. The full panel is on the Drug Facts page.

Getting Quell in Richmond, and getting help

Quell ships to Richmond and the rest of the US from Brentwood, Tennessee. Checkout doesn’t need an account, and an unopened bottle can be refunded within 30 days of delivery without sending it back. There’s no promised delivery date, so order early. More on the Richmond page and the Kentucky page.

Anyone searching for dry eye help because symptoms won’t settle should talk to an eye doctor. Sorting out the cause, and what to do next, is their call. The label says: 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 our list of symptoms that need a doctor.