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**kitty** · 31-Mar-2006, 07:14

Welcome! I have the same problem in most commercial buildings period. I find for me that the problem seems to be the ventilation system, with the air blowing. I find some places worse than others. For some reason, the grocery store and Target are the worst places for me. At the grocery store, the refrigerator and freezer sections drive me crazy. At my Target store, there is a blower right over the eye drop isle. I can't stand to be in that isle for any length of time. I think there is a method to their madness on that one. I have found no solution other than to prepare very well ahead of time so I can get in and get out as fast as possible. I prepare well ahead and try to avoid making several trips to stores in any given week. No browsing. I double up on the drops before going in. Lastly, I try to go during the time of day that is usually the wettest for my eyes, between 10 am and 1 pm or so. At work, I have had the maintenance folks direct the fans to blow away from my desk, that has helped some. I also wear wrap around sunglasses when I can get away with it, as I don't have prescription sunglasses yet.

**neil0502** · 31-Mar-2006, 08:47

Jen-

You pretty well nailed it. I think your story is going to resonate with pretty much everybody here to some degree.

I'm sort of the local Chairman of the Board of the Almost Empty Refrigerator committee, both because I eat like a horse and because I hate ... hate ... hate the grocery stores (and the Depot and the mall and....).

They're heavily ventilated. It takes a good deal of air to control the environment of such massive cubic footage buildings.

For me, I use all the same defensive techniques that you mentioned, but am (stupidly) reluctant to wear my Panoptx glasses in these venues. I will, however, wear my wraparound Oakleys (just a touch more common around here) ... which does help.

In our area, a local grocery chain does offer internet shopping & home delivery. I've done it a few times, but a) they do miss a thing from time to time (out of stock), and it's always the main thing you wanted

, and b) once in a while, you just have to get out....

All the best,
Neil

**calli66** · 31-Mar-2006, 09:03

Originally posted by southhavenjen

However, where my eyes really struggle are in grocery stores, malls, or any type of big-box store like Home Depot, Target, etc. ....Do any of the rest of you experience this and what do you think it is about these places that cause you to flare up? Is it that the air is especially dry in stores or is it that the air is stale and full of irritants?

Absolutely--I go through the same thing. As soon as I go in the door all my barely-existent tears dry up. I end up blinking, blinking, and eyedrops, eyedrops the whole time I'm inside. I think it's the ventilation system and irritants. In Home Depot they store lumber, plywood, particle board which really does a lot of out-gassing of the glue and formaldehyde components. Sometimes it's the flourescent lighting that sets me off.
C66

**southhavenjen** · 31-Mar-2006, 09:07

Thanks for your replies, Kitty and Neil! I hadn't read much discussion on this topic on the boards, but I see now there are others that share my misery in stores and other public places.

Kitty, your comment about the air vent over the eyedrop aisle cracked me up! Talk about adding insult to injury.

Neil, glad to hear I'm not the only one who's self-conscious about wearing Panoptx indoors. It's stupid, I know. I should probably get a pair and wear them in those situations, vanity be damned.

**southhavenjen** · 31-Mar-2006, 09:08

Calli, good point about Home Depot and all the off-gassing of the building materials inside! I hadn't thought of that. I'll bet that's why my eyes hate Home Depot and Lowes the very most.

**kitty** · 31-Mar-2006, 09:31

Originally posted by southhavenjen

Kitty, your comment about the air vent over the eyedrop aisle cracked me up! Talk about adding insult to injury.

As a matter of fact, I refuse to buy my drops at Target for that very reason, even if it means breaking the rules and making a second stop. These stores ought to construct dry-eye friendly zones in which to put their drops. They might get more sales that way?

**Rebecca Petris** · 31-Mar-2006, 09:44

LOL! Don't give away these secrets or they really WILL start doing these things by design. It's no different than pumping the aroma of freshly baked cookies in the areas near the bakery. I can just picture it.

Average Joe Consumer enters an aisle of the drugstore, looking for advil or shampoo or something. High-power vents gently blast some extra arid air at him and the fluorescent lights are ever so subtly stronger in this one spot. He starts blinking rapidly and thinking "Boy my eyes are getting dry a lot lately" JUST as he passes several neat little rows of Systane, Refresh, Genteal etc. with a prominent sign identifying them as dry eye remedies.

**Jeff** · 31-Mar-2006, 10:02

Originally posted by southhavenjen

Hi all -

However, where my eyes really struggle are in grocery stores, malls, or any type of big-box store like Home Depot, Target, etc. I can't find any kind of relief when I go into places like this. I'll sit in my car and instill my heaviest-duty drops (Dwelle) before going in, and I still emerge with my eyes burning and red - they're just ruined for the whole rest of the day even after spending a short time in a store.

Do any of the rest of you experience this and what do you think it is about these places that cause you to flare up? Is it that the air is especially dry in stores or is it that the air is stale and full of irritants?

Thanks in advance!
Jen

Hi Jen,

I have all of my mail forwarded to Lowes, it is my home away from home.

I too experience this when I go there. I was told that the air is kept really dry in these places because of the lumber and other products. I am sure the chemicals they use to treat the lumber with is also a factor.

In the early days following LASIK I could not go in there at all. I mean I considered getting the store involved with this since they were really losing one of their best customers (and they have deeper pockets than me). It will be 4 years in May and I can honestly say things are better now. I still do have issues but not like in the early days. I was very discouraged and thought my building days were over, either that or I was going to have to fax my orders in and pay for delivery.

Jeff

**jcorbett** · 31-Mar-2006, 13:48

Do you wear eye protection in the stores? I wear my wiley-x sunglasses, or a pair of lightly tinted sunglasses that you can buy anywhere for $10. I prefer the kind with the slightly curved front so they kind of wrap around your eyes.
You can get away with most sunglasses in these stores. They keep the lights so bright, I barely notice I have them on. These glasses protect your eyes from the air currents, which are pretty heavy duty in these stores.

**indrep** · 31-Mar-2006, 13:50

Southhaven,
my wife has been wearing dark glasses indoors for years. She also has gotten good at teh comebacks for the insensitive in our society. Wear them and be happy. Remeber the quote, "No one can make you feel inferior without your permission." I don't remember who said or if that is the exact quote, but I like it.

**Cali Girl** · 31-Mar-2006, 13:54

I know my eyes are worse during the day when I'm at work, that is unless I have a bad night and that equates to a bad day all around. I need to bring my humidifier to work and pop it up on my desk.

**southhavenjen** · 31-Mar-2006, 14:53

Everyone, thanks for your comments. It is good to know I'm not alone in all of this. I have not been able to find anything that helps in public places, but then I haven't been wearing Panoptx or even wraparound glasses in these situations, either. I am thinking I'm going to buy a pair of Panoptx and wear them with pride! They are on sale on the Sierra Trading Post website right now for $50. But I'm going to check out the lightly tinted wraparounds jcorbett mentioned first, it would be nice to only spend $10! Where could I find them - I am thinking perhaps Wally World?

**Rebecca Petris** · 31-Mar-2006, 15:19

economical Panoptx alternatives

A lady who attended our dry eye conference back in Feb wore a pair of glasses to which she had literally glued weatherstripping around the inside of the frames. I'd never have guessed it wasn't a specialty product she purchased somewhere - they looked quite nice. Might be worth a try for those who want to try out the concept of a wraparound without spending a lot.

**Lucy** · 31-Mar-2006, 15:22

To southhavenjen

Try M&M on Sprinkle Road for some cheapy goggles. Or, for the real deal, Harley Davidson further down Sprinke has a great selection of Panoptx. This way, by trying them on you'll know if they fit correctly. I found a nice pair at M&M for 20 bucks.

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