Dry eyes in Tucson, Arizona

Tucson dries eyes because its air is extremely dry for much of the year. NOAA’s humidity records put May afternoons at just 12 percent, and the weeks before the monsoon add triple-digit heat and wind. Shade your eyes outdoors, keep cooler and car vents off your face, blink often at screens and use a lubricating drop as labeled. Ongoing dryness belongs with an eye doctor.

Tucson’s climate by NOAA’s numbers

NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Tucson International Airport, which the agency lists at roughly 2,549 feet above sea level, outline a desert with two very different kinds of summer:

• Normal yearly precipitation is 10.61 inches, and only about 25 days a year bring a tenth of an inch or more.
• April, May and June together average less than seven-tenths of an inch; May is the driest month at 0.20 inches.
• July and August are the wettest months, at 2.21 and 1.98 inches, and June through August supply more than four of the year’s inches.
• June’s normal high is 101.2°F. The airport averages about 158 days a year at 90°F or above and about 68 at 100°F or above.
• Winters are mild, with a December normal low of 40.5°F and about 12 freezing nights a year.

Why are my eyes so dry in Tucson in May and June?

NOAA’s relative humidity table for Tucson tells the story month by month. Afternoon humidity averages 15 percent in April, 12 percent in May and 13 percent in June. Even June mornings, when the air is coolest, average only 29 percent. Few places in the country offer air that thirsty for so many weeks in a row.

The tear film, the thin layer of oil, water and mucus over the eye, loses water to the air around it. The drier and hotter that air, and the faster it moves, the quicker the loss. That’s why late spring is when many Tucsonans notice burning or a sandy feeling, especially by afternoon. A few things help:

• Wear wraparound sunglasses whenever you’re outside; they cut wind and dust as well as glare.
• Do outdoor errands, dog walks and runs in the early morning, when it’s cooler and slightly less dry.
• Keep a hat with a brim on the trail in Sabino Canyon or at Tucson Mountain Park; shade on the face matters.
• Drink water steadily through the day, not just when you feel thirsty.

The monsoon: humid air, dust and storms

The National Weather Service’s Southwest offices define the monsoon as June 15 through September 30. In Tucson, the shift is easy to read in NOAA’s humidity table: August afternoons average 32 percent and mornings 58, more than double the late-spring figures. Many people find their eyes feel better once the moisture arrives.

The season brings its own irritants, though. Storm outflows push walls of dust across the valley, and gusty winds carry grit and debris. If you’re caught outside when one hits, turn away from the wind, close your eyes and get indoors or into a car. Don’t rub your eyes afterward. Blink, let natural tears do their work, and rinse your face once you’re inside.

Evaporative coolers, AC and Tucson homes

If your home has an evaporative cooler, it adds moisture to the air as it cools it. That can make indoor air easier on the eyes during the dry spring, though the strong airflow still needs to be kept off your face. Refrigerated air conditioning works the other way, cooling and drying the air at the same time, so a house or office on AC can feel as parched inside as the desert does outside.

Whichever system you have, the vents are the issue. Point registers away from beds and sofas, run ceiling fans at a lower speed at night, and keep the car’s air off your face on long drives down I-10. Dry air, wind and altitude explains how each of these speeds tear loss.

Campus, base and screen time

The University of Arizona puts thousands of students in front of laptops for hours at a stretch, and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and the city’s offices and call centers keep many more at screens. Concentrating on a display cuts the blink rate, and that matters more in air this dry. Set a reminder to look across the room every so often and blink fully. Students will find more in Dry eyes while studying for exams.

Using a lubricating eye drop in the desert

A lubricating drop is one tool among several. Quell’s Drug Facts label lists its uses as: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. It’s preservative-free and is designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss. The directions say: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. More often isn’t on the label, so it isn’t advice we can give; if you feel you need more, that’s worth raising with an eye doctor.

Heat matters for storage in Tucson. The label says to store it: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). With June highs averaging over 101°F, a car interior, a mailbox or a backpack left in the sun can go well past that. Keep the bottle indoors or in a bag that stays with you in the shade. The label also says: If this product changes color. The Drug Facts page has the full panel.

When to see an eye doctor in Tucson

Desert dryness is common, but it isn’t the only reason eyes hurt. An optometrist or ophthalmologist is the person to find the cause and decide on care. Quell’s 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. Dust that seems stuck in the eye after a storm, or a sudden change in vision, is a reason to get seen promptly. The dry eye self-check can help organize your symptoms before a visit.

Can I get Quell delivered in Tucson?

Yes. Quell ships from Brentwood, Tennessee, to any Arizona address. Shipping is $10.00 below 3 bottles and free from 3 up. Checkout is open to guests aged 18 or older, and unopened bottles can be refunded within 30 days of delivery without being sent back. No delivery date is promised, and in summer it helps to have someone bring the package in promptly. The Tucson page and the Arizona page have more.