What can I do for dry eyes besides eye drops?

Besides eye drops, the things that help dry eyes most are changes to how you blink and the air around you: blink fully and take regular screen breaks, add moisture to dry indoor air, keep heater, air-conditioning and fan airflow off your face, and wear glasses or sunglasses outdoors in wind. If dryness persists, or you have pain or vision changes, see an eye doctor rather than trying more remedies.

Why these habits help

The front of your eye is covered by the tear film, which has three layers: mucus against the eye, a watery middle, and a thin oil layer on top that slows evaporation. Blinking spreads a fresh film with every closure. Anything that cuts down on blinking, or that speeds up evaporation, leaves that film thinner and the eye feeling dry, gritty or scratchy. The habits below work on those two levers: more full blinks, and slower evaporation.

How to relieve dry eyes without eye drops

Start with the steps that cost nothing:

• Blink fully. Close your eyes all the way, gently, and open them. Do a few on purpose whenever you notice you’ve been staring.
• Take screen breaks. Every 20 minutes, look at something across the room or out a window for about 20 seconds.
• Lower your screen a little. A monitor slightly below eye level means your eyes aren’t opened as wide.
• Turn vents and fans away from your face, at your desk, in the car and over your bed.
• Add moisture to dry indoor air in winter with a humidifier, especially in the bedroom.
• Wear glasses or wraparound sunglasses outdoors when it’s windy.

Blinking and screen breaks

Screens are the most common reason people blink less. When you’re reading, coding, gaming or answering email, blinks become less frequent and often incomplete. You won’t notice it happening, so a reminder helps: a timer every 20 minutes, or a habit like blinking a few times whenever you send a message. Making text larger and reducing glare from a window behind the screen also makes it less likely you’ll squint and stare. Our guide to dry eyes when reading covers the same habits for printed pages.

Humidity and indoor air

Dry air pulls water from the eye’s surface faster. Indoors, winter heating is the main culprit: warming cold air without adding water lowers its relative humidity, so rooms can be very dry even when it’s damp outside. Air conditioning removes moisture too. A humidifier, cleaned as its maker directs, can make a bedroom or office more comfortable. Our guide to whether a humidifier helps dry eyes goes into settings and placement.

Keeping airflow off your face

Moving air is the second big factor. Small adjustments help:

• In the car, aim dash vents at your chest or the windshield, and use the floor setting for heat.
• At work, check whether a ceiling diffuser is blowing on your chair; facilities can often redirect it.
• At home, slow or switch off a ceiling fan above the bed or couch.
• Keep space heaters and desk fans pointed at your body or legs, not your face.

Outdoors: wind, sun and dust

Wind across the eye speeds evaporation, and dust or grit is irritating on its own. Wraparound sunglasses or safety glasses work as a windbreak as well as a sun shield. For cycling, skiing or boating, goggles or close-fitting glasses help more. If you work outdoors, our guide for outdoor workers has job-specific ideas.

What about home remedies?

You’ll find plenty of suggestions for natural or home remedies for dry eyes. We don’t recommend any of them here, and we don’t suggest supplements. Putting homemade mixtures or anything not made for eyes into them can do harm. If you want to try something beyond the habits above, ask an eye doctor, who can look at your eyes and work out the cause and what to do about it.

When eye drops make sense too

Habits and drops aren’t either-or. Many people change their surroundings and also use a lubricating drop. Quell is designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss. Its label lists the Uses as: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. The directions say: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. One caution applies: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only. The label doesn’t give directions for contact lenses, children or use alongside other drops; ask your eye doctor or pharmacist. The full panel is on the Drug Facts page.

When to see an eye doctor

If your eyes stay dry after a couple of weeks of better habits, or you have symptoms such as pain, blurred vision, light sensitivity, or one eye far worse than the other, make an appointment. An eye exam is how you find out what’s actually going on. Drop labels are direct about when to stop and ask a doctor; Quell’s 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.

Our dry eye self-check can help you organize your symptoms before the visit; it’s not a diagnosis. Our list of eye symptoms that need a doctor covers the urgent ones.