How Dry Winter Air Affects Your Eyes, and What You Can Do About It
Winter in Indiana has a way of sneaking up on your eyes. One day you feel fine, and the next your eyes feel scratchy, watery, or like there’s grit stuck under your eyelids. If that sounds familiar, you’re not imagining it. Cold outdoor air, indoor heating, and low humidity can all make dry eye symptoms noticeably worse in winter.
At VisionQuest Eyecare, in Greenwood and Geist, we see a seasonal spike in patients dealing with burning, irritation, and fluctuating vision. Here’s what’s going on and what actually helps.
Why Winter Air Dries Out Your Eyes
Your tears are not just “water.” They’re a carefully balanced tear film that helps keep your eyes comfortable and your vision clear. In winter, several things throw that balance off:
Low humidity increases tear evaporation
When the air is dry, your tears evaporate faster. Indoor heating is a big culprit because warming air often reduces humidity, which can leave your eyes feeling dry even if you’re not outside for long.
Cold wind acts like a hair dryer for your tear film
Windy winter days can dry the surface of your eye quickly, especially if you’re outside exercising, shoveling snow, or commuting.
More screen time, less blinking
Winter often means more indoor time, which can mean more screens. When you focus on a screen, you tend to blink less fully, and that can worsen dryness and irritation. Dry eye symptoms are also commonly triggered by long periods of computer use.
Heated air in your car and home can be surprisingly harsh
Vents blowing directly at your face can dry out your eyes fast. This is especially common during long drives when you’re also concentrating hard (and blinking less).
Common Winter Dry Eye Symptoms
Dry eye does not always feel like “dryness.” Some people actually experience excess watering, because irritated eyes can overproduce watery tears that do not fix the underlying problem.
You might notice:
- Burning, stinging, or scratchiness
- Redness or irritation
- Gritty “sand in the eye” sensation
- Fluctuating or blurry vision that comes and goes
- Light sensitivity
- Watery eyes (especially outdoors)
If these symptoms are popping up every winter, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with dry eye disease, not just a temporary annoyance. At VisionQuest Eyecare we directly treat dry eye disease in our Dry Eye Spa, targeting the underlying causes instead of only treating the symptoms. Talk to us about your dry eye problems at your next appointment and we’ll determine what treatment is right for you.
Who’s Most Likely to Feel It in Winter?
Almost anyone can get winter dry eye symptoms, but it’s especially common if you:
- Wear contact lenses
- Have autoimmune conditions or certain hormone changes
- Take certain medications that reduce tear production
- Spend long hours on digital screens
If you’re a contact lens wearer, winter can be rough as lenses can often amplify dryness. If your contacts start feeling uncomfortable earlier in the day than usual, that’s a strong clue your tear film is struggling.
What You Can Do About It (Practical Winter Fixes)
Most mild to moderate winter dryness improves with a few targeted habits. Here are the ones that tend to make the biggest difference.
1) Add moisture back into your environment
Using a humidifier can make indoor air less drying, especially in bedrooms and home offices.
Try to keep vents from blowing directly at your face, in the car and at home.
2) Use lubricating eye drops the right way
For many people, the go-to starting point is artificial tears, which are a common first-line option for mild dry eye.
A few quick pointers:
- If you use drops more than 4 times a day, consider preservative-free options (often better tolerated for frequent use).
- If mornings are the worst, ask about thicker nighttime gels or ointments.
3) Protect your eyes outside
Wrap-around sunglasses (or frames with good coverage) reduce wind exposure and slow tear evaporation.
4) Blink more, especially on screens
If your eyes feel fine until you’ve been working for a few hours, dryness may be “screen amplified.” Take short visual breaks and do a few intentional full blinks to re-spread the tear film.
5) Warm compresses and eyelid hygiene can help
A lot of dry eye is tied to the oil layer of your tear film. If the oil glands along your eyelids are sluggish, tears evaporate faster. Warm compresses can be helpful for some people as part of a broader plan.
When Home Remedies Aren’t Enough
If you’re doing the basics and still dealing with:
- daily burning or gritty sensation
- blurry vision that comes and goes
- contact lens discomfort that is new or worsening
- redness that keeps returning
…it’s time for a dry eye evaluation. Persistent symptoms can mean there’s an underlying cause (like meibomian gland dysfunction or inflammation) that needs targeted treatment with our Dry Eye Spa.
How VisionQuest Eyecare Helps With Winter Dry Eye
At VisionQuest Eyecare, we focus on finding the “why” behind your dryness, not just handing you another bottle of drops. We offer a dedicated Dry Eye Spa at both of our locations to directly target the underlying conditions causing your dry eye. And if your winter symptoms are making contacts miserable, we can talk through contact lens options and strategies during your next comprehensive eye exam.
The Bottom Line
Winter dry air can absolutely make your eyes feel irritated, watery, and tired, but you do not have to just power through it. A few changes like adding humidity, using the right lubricating drops, protecting your eyes outdoors, and managing screen habits can go a long way.
If symptoms keep coming back every winter or they’re starting earlier and lasting longer each year, it’s worth getting ahead of it with a dry eye evaluation at VisionQuest Eyecare in Greenwood or Geist. Call today or schedule online through our site to get the relief you deserve.
FAQ: How Dry Winter Air Affects Your Eyes
1) Can winter weather really cause dry eye symptoms?
Yes. Cold outdoor air and lower humidity indoors (especially with heating running) can increase tear evaporation and make dryness, burning, or irritation more noticeable in winter.
2) Why do my eyes water when they feel dry?
Watery eyes can actually be a dry eye symptom. When the surface of the eye gets irritated, your eyes may produce extra watery tears as a reflex, but those tears often do not have the right oil balance to stay on the eye and relieve dryness.
3) Are dry eye symptoms worse for contact lens wearers in winter?
They can be. Contacts sit on the tear film, and when winter air increases tear evaporation, lenses may feel drier and less comfortable sooner in the day. If your lenses start feeling irritating or your wear time drops, it’s worth getting checked.
4) What are the best eye drops for winter dryness?
Many people do well starting with lubricating artificial tears. If you need drops more than 4 times a day, preservative-free options are often a better fit for frequent use. Your optometrist can recommend the best type for your symptoms and lifestyle.
5) Does a humidifier help dry eyes?
It can. Adding moisture to indoor air can reduce tear evaporation and improve comfort, especially overnight or in home office spaces where you spend a lot of time.
6) How can I protect my eyes outside in winter?
Wind is a major trigger for tear evaporation. Wearing wrap-around sunglasses or glasses with better coverage can help shield your eyes and reduce irritation from wind and cold air.
7) When should I see an eye doctor for dry eye instead of treating it at home?
If symptoms are frequent, worsening, or affecting your vision or contact lens comfort, it’s time to schedule an evaluation. Ongoing dryness can involve inflammation or oil gland issues that typically need a targeted treatment plan.
8) What dry eye treatments are available at VisionQuest Eyecare?
VisionQuest Eyecare offers dry eye care designed to identify the underlying cause of your symptoms and build a customized plan. We also have a dedicated Dry Eye Spa at both locations (Greenwood and Geist), so patients can access focused dry eye therapies in a comfortable, specialized setting.
9) Can dry eye cause blurry vision that comes and goes?
Yes. An unstable tear film can make vision fluctuate, especially during screen use or in dry environments. Treating the tear film and underlying causes often helps stabilize vision.
10) How do I schedule a dry eye evaluation at VisionQuest?
You can schedule a comprehensive exam online through the VisionQuest Eyecare website, or give us a call. When booking, mention your dry eye symptoms so we can plan the right type of visit for you. At your visit, your optometrist will evaluate if thorough treatment is right for you.
Dr. Collin Rush is passionate about bringing clear eyesight and better eye health to the community. Having graduated in the top 1% of his class at Indiana University School of Optometry, Dr. Rush primarily focuses on dry eye and keratoconus but is also trained in laser therapies for glaucoma and secondary cataracts.