My eyes water when I'm outside and it is bright/windy

April 6, 2018 6:56 PM

I work in a public-facing position and have sensitive eyes that water (sometimes profusely) when it is bright or windy. I can't wear sunglasses (or a hat) in this public-facing role and I'm looking for something that something that looks professional (not safety glasses). Is there a non-tinted coating I could put on clear eye glasses that would help? I don't normally wear rx glasses.

If you have any other advice on how to get my eyes not to water in these situations I'd be grateful.

posted by arnicae to Grab Bag (14 answers total)

Could you wear tinted lenses? My grandmother used to get lilac tinted lenses for similar reasons. I’d also say it’s a medical condition and you could argue that easily with your employer and union. But yeah, lilac lenses (the colour was the lower end of the tint spectrum) helped and they weren’t, and didn’t look like, sunglasses.
posted by taff at 7:02 PM on April 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

If no tint at all then maybe some UV clear non-rx lenses. Zenni Optical offers the BLue Blocking Beyond UV for $16.95
which are anti-reflective and may help with glare and their glasses are cheap. When I wear glasses I find the frames provide a slight bit of shade on my eye too. Lenses should at least help with wind.
posted by Crystalinne at 7:08 PM on April 6, 2018

Do these look professional? They'd help with wind, and help a little with bright.
posted by Homer42 at 7:47 PM on April 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

No recommendations for eyewear, but have you asked a doctor or optometrist whether you might have dry-eye or allergic conjunctivitis? If either of those are the case, then treating the underlying condition might be better than finding protective eyewear.
posted by hammurderer at 7:56 PM on April 6, 2018 [3 favorites]

I own these and they are like little invisible sunglasses, have really helped my bright-light-induced migraines considerably. Very pricy, but they've been a lifesaver for me, especially in indoor office environments where it's really not possible to wear sunglasses. The only downside for me is that they do tend to make my eyes feel dry, but that might end up being an upside for you.

That said, I think these are not returnable so if you've never worn contacts before, I'd experiment with lower-priced non-RX contacts first to see if you can tolerate contacts at all.
posted by mrmurbles at 7:59 PM on April 6, 2018 [3 favorites]

Uniqlo sells blue-light blocking nonreflective “clear sunglasses” for $15. Similar, I assume, to the Zennis that Crystalinne links to up-thread. Can't speak to their efficacy for you, but at least you wouldn't be out much.
posted by mumkin at 12:00 AM on April 7, 2018

At an optician's, you can get eyeglasses with planar lenses (meaning: they don't do any optical correction). They can be coated with pretty much anything. UV blocking coatings are common, relatively cheap, and the tint is very slight so they don't look like sunglasses. (You can also get them coated with tints and Polarizing, at which time they're literally sunglasses).

At an independent optician these can be durable, relatively cheap and a good, style-aware shop will help fit you with a frame that looks good and appropriate for the situation you're working in.
posted by ardgedee at 5:35 AM on April 7, 2018

Yes, you can order regular glasses with non-prescription lenses. If I recall they were even a bit of a fashion trend for a while, at least in New Orleans around 2012 or so. Zenni Optical or one of the other online glasses retailers would set you up with a pair for somewhere between $10 and $50, depending on what frames and coatings you got.

You'll want to measure your pupillary distance first so as to get frames that fit you, although it won't be as crucial to get it just right as it would be if you were getting prescription lenses.

Also, when I'm hiking, I find that a good hood cuts down on wind-related eye watering a lot, even if I'm not wearing glasses or a mask. It helps create a little pocket of still air in front of my face and also shades out part of the sky when it's bright out. So if that's an option for you, you could try that. A hat with a visor will give some of the same effect in warmer weather.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:20 AM on April 7, 2018

I have this problem also and it is a dry eye condition! Talk to your optometrist about using the appropriate eye drops.
posted by Mrs. Rattery at 6:29 AM on April 7, 2018

You have a work requirement and can't wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from bright sunlight. Ask your employer to get the windows tinted, get a shade, curtains, whatever. It's a reasonable request.
posted by theora55 at 6:32 AM on April 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

Sorry, I missed above that you can't wear a hat. Can you clarify if your problem at work is mainly brightness or mainly wind, or both? Do you work inside or outside?
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:35 AM on April 7, 2018

Another confused party here: what kind of job requires you to be exposed to wind and sun and face the public but disallows personal protective gear designed to prevent the problems you’re having?

I’d push for the right to wear a hat or sunglasses, because those are the appropriate tools for this job.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:13 AM on April 7, 2018 [9 favorites]

what kind of job requires you to be exposed to wind and sun and face the public

Not the OP but I had imagined some kind of gov’t or corporate position that requires attendence at outdoor press conferences, ribbon cuttings, etc
posted by mrmurbles at 6:19 PM on April 8, 2018

I had this issue for years, and recently discovered that a specific kind of non-prescription eyedrops helps -- a lot:

Systane Ultra by Alcon.

No others have been helpful, but applied correctly and carefully each day, these drops seem to help.

I promise, I am not a shill.
posted by dwbrant at 12:03 PM on April 9, 2018