Gift ideas for someone with dry eyes

Think about where their eyes bother them most, then pick something for that place. Dry indoor heat, long screen sessions and cold wind are the usual culprits, and each one has an everyday gift that suits it.

For the home

A room humidifier puts moisture back into air that winter heating has dried out. A small one for the bedroom or the home office is plenty, and it’s easy to wrap. If you buy one, add a note that it needs regular cleaning, which the manual will spell out.

For the desk

People blink less while they concentrate on a screen. A simple desk timer, or an app set to nudge them to look away every so often, makes a cheap and surprisingly welcome stocking filler for anyone who works at a monitor.

For the outdoors

Wraparound sunglasses cut down the wind that reaches the eyes on a walk, a bike ride or the slopes. A soft scarf that can be pulled up against a cold breeze earns its keep too.

For the bag

A small zip pouch that keeps their drops, lip balm and glasses cloth together. It stops a bottle from ending up loose in a coat pocket or left in the car, where the temperature can drift outside the label’s range.

And the drops themselves

A .33 fl oz (10 mL) bottle of Quell is small enough to tuck into any of the above. Its Uses read: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. Check the egg and bird allergy caution on the Drug Facts page before you buy, and see how to send Quell as a gift for the checkout side.