From November to March, many people in Northeast Wisconsin notice the same thing: eyes that burn, sting, feel gritty or water for no reason. Winter is one of the hardest seasons on the tear film, and there are real reasons why.
What winter does to your tears
- Cold, dry outdoor air pulls moisture from the eye's surface
- Wind off the bay and Lake Michigan speeds up evaporation
- Forced-air heat at home, at work and in the car dries the air even more
- We blink less when we focus on phones, laptops and TV during long indoor months
Why watery eyes can still be dry eyes
It sounds backwards, but watery eyes are a common dry eye symptom. When the surface of the eye gets irritated, it releases a flood of reflex tears. Those tears are mostly water and do not contain enough oil to stay on the eye, so the cycle repeats.
Simple things that help
- Run a humidifier in the bedroom and office
- Point car vents away from your face
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds
- Wear wraparound sunglasses outside on windy days
- Stay hydrated, even when it does not feel hot
When drops are not enough
If you are using artificial tears several times a day and still feel uncomfortable, the problem may be meibomian gland dysfunction, or MGD. These tiny glands along the eyelids make the oil that keeps tears from evaporating. When they clog, no amount of drops fixes the root problem.
A dry eye evaluation at Eye See Eye and Facial Wellness looks at your glands and tear film to find the cause. For MGD, treatments like OptiLight intense pulsed light can help restore comfort that lasts longer than a drop.
ready for Dry Eye Treatment?
Book with Dr. Larson inside the Walmart Vision Center at 2440 W. Mason Street, Green Bay, or call (920) 405-9165.