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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffLike any liquid, tears will evaporate when exposed to air. You can take these simple steps to help slow evaporation:
- Avoid air blowing in your eyes. Don't direct hair dryers, car heaters, air conditioners or fans toward your eyes.
- Wear glasses on windy days and goggles while swimming. The wraparound style of glasses may help reduce the effects of the wind.
- Add moisture to the air. In winter, a humidifier can add moisture to dry indoor air. Some people use specially designed glasses that form a moisture chamber around the eye, creating additional humidity. These glasses can be worn at night, and may be especially helpful for people that sleep with their eyes partially open. They can also be worn during the day to relieve dry eye symptoms.
- Avoid rubbing your eyes. You can irritate your eyes further by rubbing them.
- Take preventive steps. Use eyedrops before, rather than after, your eyes become irritated as a result of visually demanding activities. Try to avoid activities that might worsen the problem.
- Remember to blink. Consciously blinking repeatedly helps spread your own tears more evenly. When performing tasks that require intense visual concentration, take occasional breaks — adding up to about five minutes each hour — and rest your eyes by closing your lids for several seconds. Follow this by consciously increasing your blink rate. Be especially careful to follow these suggestions if you have had LASIK or a similar procedure.
- Avoid smoke. Smoke, whether yours or someone else's, can contribute to dry eyes.
