Newsblurb: In-flight eye protection

One of those little seasonal reminders that news outfits are always running...

Eye irritants take flight on airplanes
The Herald News

...Airport hassles might have you red in the face, but have you also noticed that your eyes are red as well after sitting on the plane?

"The reused air circulating throughout the airplane cabin can dry out your eyes, leading to irritation and redness," says New Jersey-based optometric physician Dr. Leonard J. Press. "While dry, bloodshot eyes are common side effects of air travel, there are things you can do to help minimize the problem."

Press offers the following tips:

• Drink a lot of water during and after the flight.
• Avoid alcoholic or salty beverages, like tomato juice, during your flight. These drinks will only dehydrate you even more.
• Use lubricating eye drops to combat dry eye and irritation....

That's all well and good for the general public. For people with real dry eye like our DEZ members... come visit DryEyeTalk for more serious tips. Here's a few off the top of my head:

- Bring a damp cloth in a sealed plastic bag to use as a compress.
- Use tranquileyes moisture goggles or a sleep mask when you're dozing.
- If you're reading, working or watching movies, Onion Goggles may be helpful.