Dry eyes on a winter trip somewhere warm

A winter trip somewhere warm can be surprisingly hard on the eyes: dry cabin air on the flight, cold air conditioning in the hotel, bright sun off sand and water, and steady beach wind. Pack wraparound sunglasses, keep drops in your carry-on under TSA’s liquids rule, turn hotel vents away from the bed, and use your drops as their label directs.

Why the trip itself dries your eyes

Much of the drying happens in transit and indoors. Airplane cabins have very dry air at cruising altitude, and the overhead vents push it across your face for hours. Long stretches of reading or watching a seatback screen slow your blinking. By the time you land, your eyes may already feel gritty.

• Turn the overhead vent so it blows at your chest, not your eyes.
• Close your eyes for part of the flight even if you don’t sleep.
• Pause the movie or book every so often and blink fully a few times.
• Drink water through the flight.

Our guide to dry eyes on a plane goes further on the flight itself.

Packing eye drops for TSA

TSA’s liquids rule allows travel-size containers of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item in a carry-on, packed in one quart-size bag. A bottle of Quell holds .33 fl oz (10 mL), well under that limit. TSA also lists medications as an exemption: its page on liquid medications says larger, medically necessary amounts are allowed in reasonable quantities if you declare them to an officer at the checkpoint, and the officer makes the final call.

• Keep drops in your carry-on, not your checked bag, so you have them on the plane and still have them if a suitcase goes astray.
• Put the bottle in your quart bag or with your other medications so it’s easy to show at screening.
• Bring the box if you have room; its Drug Facts panel lists the ingredients.
• On a longer trip, pack a spare in a different bag.

Hotel air conditioning in January

You’ve escaped the furnace back home, but warm-weather hotels and rentals usually run air conditioning day and night. Cooled air carries less moisture and keeps moving, and a wall unit beside the bed can blow on your face all night. Set the fan to auto instead of on, point the louvers toward the ceiling or away from the bed, and close the bedroom door on a unit in the living area if you can. Dry eyes in a hotel room has more room-by-room ideas.

Sun, sand and beach wind

Winter sun in the southern latitudes is bright, and sand and water bounce it back up at you. Squinting for hours is tiring, and a steady onshore breeze keeps pulling moisture off the eyes. Polarized wraparound sunglasses cut glare and wind together, and a wide-brimmed hat helps with the rest. Sit with the wind at your back under the umbrella, and rinse sand and sunscreen off your hands before you touch anything near your eyes.

Sunscreen that runs into the eyes stings. Apply it carefully around the brow, let it set before swimming, and choose a stick for the area just above the eyes if liquid tends to drip.

Keeping the bottle within its temperature range

The label’s storage line reads Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). A beach bag in full sun, a rental car parked at the shore, or a balcony at midday can all climb past the top of that range. Keep the bottle in the shade, wrapped in a towel inside your bag, and take it with you instead of leaving it in the car. Back in the room, a drawer away from the window works well. Skip the minibar fridge if it runs colder than the label allows.

Using drops on vacation

Quell is designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss, which suits a trip full of moving air. Follow the label’s directions, Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye, and its handling line: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination. Its stated Uses are “For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye.” The Drug Facts page has the whole panel if you want to check it before you pack.

If you wear contacts, or you’re using other eye drops your doctor prescribed, the label doesn’t cover that combination; ask your eye doctor or a pharmacist before the trip.

Order before you leave

Quell ships only to US addresses, from Brentwood, Tennessee, and we don’t promise a delivery date, so order well before departure rather than having a package chase you. If you’re traveling within the United States you could ship to your hotel, but packing a bottle from home is simpler. Shipping is $10.00, or free on 3 or more bottles. Order Quell with guest checkout.

Coming home

The return trip reverses the change: from warm, humid air back to a dry, heated house. Eyes that were fine on the beach can feel scratchy again in the first few days home. If dryness, pain or a change in vision continues, see an eye doctor. 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.