Dry, itchy eyes in winter

Dry, itchy eyes in winter usually come from dry air. Furnaces warm cold outdoor air without adding moisture, so tears evaporate faster indoors, and the skin of the eyelids dries out along with the rest of your skin. Wind and cold outside add to it. A humidifier, vents pointed away from your face and a lubricating drop help with dryness; itching that persists needs a doctor’s look.

Why winter makes eyes dry

Cold air holds very little water. When your furnace, heat pump or space heater warms it, the amount of moisture stays the same while the air’s capacity rises, so indoor relative humidity drops. Your tear film sits exposed on the front of the eye between blinks, and its watery layer evaporates faster into dry air. The tear film’s outer oil layer is what slows that loss, and when evaporation outpaces it, the eye’s surface feels dry, gritty or tired.

Winter habits make it worse. More hours indoors, more evenings in front of screens, cars with the heater on high, and wind that hits your face on the walk in from the parking lot all speed evaporation.

Why dry eyes can itch

Itching and dryness often show up together in winter, for a few reasons that have nothing to do with a drop:

• The skin of the eyelids is thin and dries out in heated air, just like your hands. Dry, flaky lid skin itches.
• Wool scarves, hats and sweaters can rub and shed fibers near the eyes.
• Dust settles in rooms with closed windows, and forced-air systems blow it around when they cycle on.
• Rubbing tired eyes at night irritates them further and starts a rub-itch cycle.

Itching has many possible causes, and some aren’t related to dryness at all. If your eyes itch more than they feel dry, or the itching comes with sneezing, swelling or discharge, ask a doctor or pharmacist what’s behind it.

What a lubricating drop’s label covers

It’s worth reading exactly what the Uses line on a lubricating eye drop says, because that’s what the product is labeled to do. Quell’s reads: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. That covers dryness, and it covers protection against further irritation. It doesn’t name itching, so Quell isn’t labeled to relieve an itch on its own. If dryness is what’s setting off the itchy feeling, easing the dryness may help; if not, a different approach is needed, and a pharmacist can point you to it.

Quell is designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss, which is the winter problem in a sentence. Follow the label: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. The Uses section on an eye drop label explains how to read that part of any drop’s panel.

Winter habits that help dry, itchy eyes

• Run a humidifier in the bedroom and the room where you spend evenings. Clean it on the schedule its maker gives.
• Point heating vents, car vents and space heaters away from your face.
• Switch off ceiling fans for the season.
• Wash your face and hands after coming in from outside, then pat the lids dry gently.
• Use a fragrance-free moisturizer on dry skin around the eyes, keeping it out of the eyes themselves.
• Wash wool scarves and hats, and choose smooth fabrics near your face if wool bothers you.
• Take screen breaks and blink fully every so often.
• Try not to rub. If you need to touch your eyes, wash your hands first and use a clean tissue.

Outdoors: cold wind and bright snow

Wind makes eyes water, and that watery reflex tear washes away fast, which can leave eyes drier once you’re back inside. Bright sun on snow makes people squint, and squinting goes with partial blinks. Wraparound sunglasses deal with both. Ski goggles or a scarf pulled up help on very windy days. Dry eyes from cold air explains the watering reflex in more detail.

Keeping drops in good shape in winter

Eye drops have a storage range on the label too, and winter tests it. Quell’s is Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). A bottle left in the car on a freezing night falls below that, and one parked next to a radiator or space heater can run above it. Keep it in a bag that comes inside with you, or in a drawer at room temperature. If it changes color, the label says If this product changes color.

When itchy, dry eyes need a doctor

See an eye doctor if your eyes keep itching despite the steps above, if the lids are swollen or crusted, if there’s discharge, or if dryness lingers after winter ends. Figuring out what’s causing symptoms is their job, and they can tell whether a lubricating drop fits. The label is clear about 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.. The dry eye self-check can help you describe your symptoms before the appointment.