Eye drops in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

You can buy lubricating eye drops in Eau Claire without a prescription, at local stores or online, and Quell ships to Wisconsin addresses. Eyes here tend to feel driest through the long heating season, when furnace air, snow glare and cold wind off the rivers all add up. A humidifier, screen breaks and a drop used as labeled help. For dryness that won’t settle, see an eye doctor.

Why Eau Claire eyes feel dry in winter

It sounds backwards, but Wisconsin winter air outdoors isn’t especially dry by relative humidity. NOAA’s humidity table has no Eau Claire row; for La Crosse, the closest Wisconsin city it lists, average afternoon humidity is about 68 percent in January and 71 percent in December. The catch is temperature. Air near zero holds very little water, so once your furnace warms it to room temperature, the humidity inside your house drops sharply.

That’s why the drying happens indoors: in the bedroom with the register running all night, the classroom, the office and the car. Then, when you step outside, cold wind makes your eyes water, and they feel dry again once you’re back in the heat.

Eau Claire winters by NOAA’s numbers

Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, at about 885 feet, has NOAA climate normals for 1991–2020:

• A January normal high of 23.4°F and a normal low of 5.8°F.
• About 27 nights a year at zero or colder, and about 163 at or below freezing.
• About 73 days a year when the high stays at or below 32°F.
• Around 55 inches of snow a year, with January the snowiest month at about 13.5 inches.
• About 99 days a year with at least an inch of snow on the ground.
• Close to 7,923 heating degree days a year, a measure of how long and hard furnaces run.

Summer is a different place. July’s normal high is 82.8°F, and June is the wettest month, at nearly 5 inches of rain. Most people notice their eyes least in late spring and summer and most from December through March.

Snow glare and wind along the rivers

Eau Claire grew up where the Eau Claire River meets the Chippewa, and riverside trails run through the middle of town. On a bright winter day, three months of snow cover reflects sunlight from below as well as above. People squint, and squinting tends to go with shallower, less frequent blinks. Wind moving along the open river corridor adds more evaporation.

• Wear sunglasses on sunny snow days, not just in summer. Wraparound frames block wind too.
• On cross-country skis or a fat bike, try goggles or clear glasses.
• Pull a scarf or gaiter up so you’re not turning your face away from the wind with your eyes half closed.
• Blink fully a few times when you come inside, before you look at your phone.

Campus life in a college town

With the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire in the middle of town, a lot of residents spend the cold months in lecture halls, libraries and dorms, many of them heated well above what anyone needs. Long study sessions cut blinking further. If you’re a student:

• Pick a study spot away from radiators and ceiling vents.
• Take a real break every 30 to 40 minutes, and look across the room or out the window.
• Ask about a small humidifier for your room before buying one; dorm rules vary.
• Keep drops in your backpack rather than a car parked all night in a student lot.

Students under 18 should note that Quell’s site only sells to buyers 18 and older, and the label’s directions don’t cover children. Dry eyes while studying has more on long study sessions.

What Quell is and how to use it

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

Keep the bottle indoors. The label says Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F), and a car, a garage or a porch in an Eau Claire January drops far below that. Carry it in an inside coat pocket when you’re out. The label also says Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination, and notes Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only, since the formula contains emu oil.

When to see an eye doctor in the Chippewa Valley

If your eyes stay uncomfortable into spring, or something feels off beyond dryness, make an appointment with an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Working out the cause and choosing how to care for it are their job. The label’s stopping point is: 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. Our guide to eye symptoms that need a doctor lists what not to wait on.

Getting eye drops shipped to Eau Claire

Quell ships from Brentwood, Tennessee, to Wisconsin at $10.00, and orders of 3 or more bottles ship free. You can check out as a guest, and unopened bottles can be refunded within 30 days of delivery without sending them back. No delivery date is promised, so order before you run low. In deep winter, bring the package inside soon after it arrives. The Eau Claire page and the Wisconsin page have the details.