Ever notice that the moment you turn on the heat, your eyes start to burn, feel scratchy, or become irritated? Many residents across Los Angeles and Ventura County experience worsening dry eye symptoms during the winter months—even with our generally mild climate. Indoor heating plays a major role, and understanding why can help you find real relief.
At DLV Vision, our dry eye specialists see this pattern every winter and offer advanced, targeted treatments—including LipiFlow® thermal pulsation and IPL therapy—that address the root causes of chronic dry eye, not just the symptoms.
How Indoor Heating Triggers Dry Eye
Winter dry eye isn’t caused by the cold outside—it’s the warm, dry air inside your home, office, or car that creates the perfect environment for tear film instability. Here’s what happens when heaters come on:
1. Heating Systems Reduce Indoor Humidity
Most heaters, whether central air, furnaces, or space heaters, dramatically decrease indoor moisture levels.
Low humidity = faster tear evaporation.
When your tears evaporate too quickly, your eyes lose the protective moisture layer needed to stay comfortable and clear.
2. Forced Air Blows Across the Eyes
Air movement, especially from car vents, office HVAC systems, or home heaters, accelerates evaporation. Even mild airflow can disrupt the delicate tear film.
3. More Time Indoors Means More Screen Exposure
During colder months, many people work and relax indoors. Increased screen time reduces blink rate, which prevents the eyes from replenishing tears naturally.
4. Contact Lenses Lose Moisture Faster
Both soft and hard lenses become less stable in dry, heated environments. This can lead to irritation, blurry vision, and a gritty feeling.
Why a Professional Evaluation Matters
Not all dry eye is the same. Many patients try over-the-counter drops for months or even years before discovering that the true cause of their discomfort is tear film imbalance or blocked oil glands.
At DLV Vision, we perform a comprehensive dry eye evaluation to determine what’s actually causing your symptoms. Using advanced diagnostic tools, our ophthalmologists assess:
- Tear quantity and quality
- Oil layer stability
- Meibomian gland function
- Blink patterns
- Inflammation around the eyelids
- Contact lens-related dryness
- Environmental and lifestyle contributors (including heater exposure)
This personalized approach allows us to design a treatment plan that offers lasting relief, rather than temporary symptom control.
Advanced Dry Eye Treatments at DLV Vision
Once we understand the underlying issue, our team recommends the most effective therapies. Two of the most powerful options for winter dry eye and MGD are:
LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation
LipiFlow is a breakthrough treatment designed to clear blocked meibomian glands, which are essential for producing healthy oils in the tear film.
- Gently warms and massages the eyelids
- Restores natural oil flow
- Improves tear stability
- Provides long-term relief
This in-office procedure is ideal for patients whose symptoms worsen when indoor heating reduces tear film integrity.
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) Therapy
IPL treats inflammation around the eyelids—a major factor in chronic dry eye.
It works by:
- Reducing inflammation
- Improving gland function
- Stabilizing the tear film
- Decreasing bacterial overgrowth and redness
Patients across Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, and surrounding communities often see a significant improvement after a series of IPL treatments.
What Our Patients Are Saying
“Dr. Zhang is a wonderful eye doctor! She’s helped me so much with my dry eyes. Always so sweet, gentle, and kind. She’s incredibly quick when putting in my plugs, and I never feel a thing!”
Take Control of Your Winter Dry Eye
You don’t have to struggle with burning, stinging, watery, or irritated eyes every time the heat turns on. With the right diagnosis and a customized treatment plan, lasting comfort is possible.
If you’re experiencing winter dry eye, the specialists at DLV Vision are here to help you find relief—starting with a personalized evaluation.
Schedule a consultation today:
https://www.doughertylaservision.com/request-an-appointment/
Call Now to book at your closest DLV Vision location.
