This time of year, I see more patients having symptoms of dry eyes. More contact lens wearers also report lens discomfort and proper-fitting lenses falling out of their eyes. Sometimes we're quick focus on what's the best artificial tear or contact lens to use that we forget that there are environmental modifications we can do to help relieve dry eye symptoms. As we dip into the 3 digit temperatures and spend more time indoors, let's focus on how the local environment can cause dry eyes and come up with some mitigation strategies.
Environmental Factors Contributing to Dry Eyes:
Temperature (Outdoor temperature and indoor heater or A/C use) Wind (Indoors: fan, CPAP) Pollutants (smoke, ozone, pollen, dust, mold, VOCs) Humidity
High temperature and high wind speed can increase tear evaporation. Pollutants in the air can contribute to eye irritation. In Arizona, the combination of low humidity and warm air leads to lower tear volume. However, in areas with poor air quality, high humidity may worsen dry eye symptoms by increasing the airborne time of particulate matter.
Mitigation Strategies: Wear protective eyewear. A pair of wrapped sunglasses can block the "hair dryer" air from blowing into your eyes. Around smoke, avoid wearing contact lenses. Better yet, avoid smoky areas.
Direct fans and car vents away from your face.
Replace your A/C filter and use an air purifier if the air quality needs to be improved.
Use appliances that vent to the outside if possible.
Aim for about 40% humidity indoors. If low humidity is an issue, consider a cool mist desktop humidifier when using a computer for an extended period of time. Houseplants also help increase humidity in the house. Also, check to make sure the humidity isn't too high. When humidity is over 60%, mold and bacteria are more likely to grow and spread.
Recognizing the effects of the environment on the ocular surface is important in formulating a treatment plan for dry eyes because it is considered a multifactorial disease. Because there are a myriad of factors, the treatment plan may vary from person to person. In the next post, we will focus on the eyelid and it's relation to dry eye disease.
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