My New Glasses to Help My Dry Eyes

Glasses! I have nearly as many pairs as I have bottles of drops. But now I have a new pair, quite different from anything I’ve had before. I found them after a lot of searching, because I have trouble indoors with my dry eyes.

My problem indoors is any breeze at all. It could come from an air-conditioner, a heater, a fan, or even an open window or door. All of these are necessary at one time or another, but my eyes can’t stand them. Even lubricating drops are no match for the slightest breeze. I looked for the air conditioning vent covers mentioned in a story on this site, but unfortunately they are for ceiling vents, and not wall-mounted units.

Different glasses to protect my eyes

But first, before I explain my discovery, what did I already have in the way of glasses? I had ordinary reading glasses (lots of them around the house and in the car) and also I had computer glasses. None of these help with the breeze, and they’re prescription glasses for close work. I can only wear them when reading or working on the computer. If I get up and walk around, they have to come off.

Then there are the many pairs of sunglasses. My newest, wraparound, polarized ones are for the outdoors and driving. They’re designed by the Cancer Council so they meet high standards. They do a pretty good job of keeping the sun and wind out, while still allowing me to see well. They helped a lot on my recent long drive (about 450 miles each way) to see my family. These particular sunglasses aren’t very attractive, so I have others which I wear if I’m out with friends, having lunch for example, and trying to look a little bit more “dressy.”

I have actually watched television with a pair of sunglasses on. The newest ones keep out the moving breeze, but the screen really is too dark to watch. And if it’s a night scene – forget it! I don’t need prescription glasses for the television, because it’s a large screen, and I don’t need them. So there is nothing between me and the breeze except lots of applications of drops, or then giving up and going to bed. By then, my eyes are too sore even to read.

Benefits of my new glasses

So, back to my new glasses. They are designed for nurses and health professionals and are anti fog and 100% blue-light blocking. There are transparent protective shields on the top and sides to keep out the breeze! Just what I was after. They’re not designed to be used with a prescription, so I can wear them anywhere inside the house for any task I want to do. The come in lots of pleasant modern colours, mainly pastels and clear frames. And they aren’t expensive. These particular ones are made in Australia, but I found lots of close variations of these available on-line. Sometimes they’re called safety glasses, but they’re nothing like a tradesperson would wear!

I thought, why not give them a try? I ordered some and I haven’t been disappointed. They are a great improvement on the sunglasses indoors, and I can see the television without a “dark haze”. I can just wear them around the house with the air conditioning going in every room and not have to worry about my eyes. They aren’t perfect, and I sometimes feel a bit of breeze from around the side, but they work very well and look quite smart.

My regular care plan is still needed, but these glasses are definitely a very worthwhile discovery for me to use at home. They might just have to come with me to other places where I can't convince them to "please turn the air conditioning down!"