Eye drops for pilots and flight crews

Pilots and flight attendants work long duty days in dry cabin and cockpit air, often with vents and screens close to their faces, so dry eyes are common on the job. Before using any medication, over-the-counter eye drops included, pilots should follow the FAA’s advice: consult your Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) about specific medications. This site can’t say whether Quell is acceptable for flying.

Why flight crews notice dry eyes

Cabin and cockpit air is dry, and crews breathe it for a whole duty day rather than a single flight. A cockpit puts the gasper vents, the displays and an electronic flight bag tablet within arm’s reach, all of which work against the tear film: moving air pulls water off it, and screens cut down blinking. Early report times and short layovers mean less sleep, and the hotel room at the end of the day often has its own dry heat or air conditioning.

The tear film’s outer oil layer slows evaporation from the watery layer beneath it. Quell is designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss. Its label’s Uses line reads: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye.

What the FAA says about pilots and medications

The FAA’s page on medications for pilots says pilots must carefully consider both the medication and the underlying condition, because either can affect safety of flight. For questions about specific medications or conditions, it tells pilots to consult their AME. It links an over-the-counter medications reference guide and other documents on side effects and wait times, and it notes that these references are not all-inclusive and don’t replace a conversation with a primary care physician or AME.

The same page points out that most physicians aren’t trained in aviation medicine, and it strongly recommends talking through medication options with a doctor before taking anything. Put together, the FAA’s message is clear: the AME is the person to ask about any eye drop you plan to use while holding a medical certificate. This site sells Quell; it can’t make that call for you.

Questions to bring to your AME

• The product name and the carton, which lists the active ingredients, Glycerol (1.0%), Polysorbate 80 (1.0%) and Light Mineral Oil (0.5%), and the 10 inactive ingredients.
• The label’s directions: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye.
• Its warnings: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only.
• How long before a flight, if at all, you could use it.
• Whether anything about your own eyes or history changes the answer.

Flight attendants and other crew

Cabin crew, dispatchers and maintenance staff face the same dry air, but the FAA’s pilot medication guidance is written for pilots. Check your employer’s policies on medications at work, and ask your own doctor or pharmacist about any eye drop. The label’s directions are the same for everyone: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. It says nothing about contact lenses or using Quell alongside other drops, so ask an eye doctor or pharmacist about either.

Using drops between legs

Use drops when you have a few minutes with nothing that needs your eyes, such as on the ground between flights, and wait until your vision is fully clear before returning to any task that depends on it. Wash your hands in the lavatory or the crew room first. Galley counters, yokes and armrests are all surfaces, and the label is plain: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination. If something feels wrong rather than dry, the label is just as clear: 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.

Carrying the bottle in a crew bag

A .33 fl oz (10 mL) bottle fits in a quart-size liquids bag; TSA allows eye drops in carry-on bags at 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less. The bigger risk is temperature. A crew bag left in a car at an employee lot can go above or below the label’s storage range, Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F), between trips. Take the bottle with you, and check it before use if it was left behind. The Do not use line reads: If this product changes color.

Layovers and hotel rooms

Layover hotels are their own dry environment. The guide to dry eyes in a hotel room covers the heating unit, the fan and where to keep the bottle. For flights as a passenger, see dry eyes on a plane.

Ordering around a schedule

Quell ships to US addresses only, from Brentwood, Tennessee, and the site doesn’t promise a delivery date. Order to your home or another address where someone takes packages, ahead of a long trip pairing. You’ll get one reorder reminder email after an order, with no subscription. You can follow any order on the order tracking page.