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Why Is Dry Eyes Worse in the Summer and How to Manage It?

Increased Exposure to Sunlight and Use of Air Conditioning

People normally tend to spend more time outside during the summer month when the temperature are higher and the days are lengthier or brighter. However, spending much time outside implies that your eyes are more exposed to harmful elements or the ultraviolet rays from the sun. Therefore, tear films in the eyes will evaporate faster leading to drying out of the eye. Spending time outside may cause squinting of the eyes, resulting in more stress and irritation.

Summer is a period when most people are unable to do without air conditioning. Air conditioning reduces the temperature in a room, making it more conducive. However, they are also known to reduce the humidity and amount of moisture in the air, which can cause easy evaporation of tear film which triggers dry eye.

Decrease in temperature can also disrupt the ability of the meibomian glands [1] to produce oils that stop tears from evaporating faster than normal.