Dry eyes for EMTs and paramedics

EMTs and paramedics get dry eyes from a mix of ambulance climate control blowing in a small space, wind and dust at roadside scenes, broken sleep on long shifts, and hours of focused work. The fixes are practical: aim vents away from your face, wear eye protection on scene, remove gloves and clean your hands before touching your eyes, and use a lubricating drop between calls exactly as its label directs.

Why EMS work dries the eyes

An ambulance is a small box with a powerful heating and cooling system, because the patient compartment has to stay comfortable no matter the weather outside. Vents in the cab and the back move a lot of air in a little space, often near head height. Add 12- or 24-hour shifts, nights spent half-awake between calls, and charting on a tablet or laptop, and the eyes rarely get a rest.

• Strong HVAC flow in the cab and patient compartment.
• Doors opening and closing on cold, hot, windy or dusty scenes.
• Long stretches of driving at night, looking into headlights.
• Tired eyes from interrupted sleep, which blink less fully.
• Screen time for documentation after every call.

In the rig

Take a minute at the start of a shift to set up the cab. Point the dash vents at your chest or hands, use the floor and defrost settings when you can, and avoid running the fan on high straight at the driver’s face. In the back, if a vent blows across the attendant’s seat, redirect it toward the floor or the patient’s feet as the patient’s comfort allows.

Night driving adds its own strain. Staring down a dark road with oncoming lights tends to lock the eyes open. On long transports, a few deliberate blinks at each stop or turn help, and so does keeping the windshield clean inside and out to cut glare.

On scene: wind, smoke and debris

Highway shoulders, open fields, structure fires and storm damage put crews in wind, smoke and blowing debris. Agency-issued eye protection is there for splash and impact, and it also blocks a lot of wind. Wraparound safety glasses are the better shape for both jobs. When you get back in the rig after a dusty or smoky scene, rinse your face and wash your hands before touching your eyes.

Gloves, hands and touching your eyes

Hand hygiene matters more in EMS than in almost any other job. Before you touch your eyes or open a bottle of drops:

• Remove your gloves using your agency’s technique, without touching the outside of them.
• Wash with soap and water when you can. If you use hand sanitizer, let it dry completely first, since sanitizer near the eyes stings.
• Use a clean tissue for the lower lid instead of your fingertip if you can.
• Keep the bottle tip from touching your lashes, lids or fingers. The label’s tip line reads Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.

If blood or another body fluid splashes into your eyes, that’s an exposure, not a dryness problem. Use the eyewash, follow your agency’s exposure control plan, and report it. Under OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, employers must have such a plan in place for workers with occupational exposure. A lubricating drop isn’t a rinse and doesn’t belong in that process.

Where to keep eye drops in an ambulance

Personal drops belong in your own bag, not in the rig’s medication stock or a shared compartment, where they could be mistaken for supplies or used by someone else. The label says Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F), and a rig parked outside a station or hospital can run hot or cold. Keep your bag in the station, in a climate-controlled cab with you, or in a pocket. Never leave a bottle on the dash in the sun.

Using drops on a 24-hour shift

Quell’s directions are Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. Calls don’t come on a schedule, so tie them to things that happen every shift: at shift change, after a meal, and when you settle in to rest. If a call comes as you’re reaching for the bottle, put it away and come back to it later. Don’t try to use drops while driving.

The Uses read: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. Quell is designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss. Read the full Drug Facts, including the warning for people with egg or bird allergies. Dry eyes on the night shift has more about timing drops around daytime sleep.

When to get your eyes checked

If your eyes feel dry most days, or you notice pain, sensitivity to light or vision changes, see an eye doctor. The label says to stop and ask a doctor in these cases: 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. Your eyes are part of your job, so it’s worth getting them looked at sooner rather than later. Eye symptoms that need a doctor lists signs that call for prompt attention.