Solution to my dry eyes problem!!

[kingofthebraves]

I think I finally narrowed down the causes of my dry eyes to climate, wind, fans and air conditioning. I've been experimenting with caffeine intake and it seems to have no effect. Omega oil does help but not as much as you'd want it to be. You will still always be susceptible to wind and dry climate. I've been dealing with my dry eyes for 3 years now and I have never been more happy!!

I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE THAT OVER THE EYEGLASS GOGGLES HAVE HELPED ME TREMENDOUSLY WITH DRY EYES. They're typically used for skiing and motor sports and they are fantastic in keeping my eyes nice and moist. I can see clearly without any glare at all even in a fully air-conditioned room thanks to my goggles!! I highly recommend you try them!

I am currently using:

Oakley wind jacket - Sunglasses with rubber gaskets that work perfectly to seal moisture for your eyes. This is the only pair of glasses I've encountered that does not use foam. Foam cannot hold up to sweat and over time will break apart. They fit great and comes with clear and tinted lenses. I use this primarily for driving.

http://www.amazon.com/Oakley-Wind-Ja.../dp/B0050VYI3E

Guard Dog evaders - I wear large thick rimmed eyeglasses and these can fit over them!! Seals are made of foam and they're starting to come off after two weeks of use but I'm not complaining! I can now work in my office without having to worry about my eyes.

http://www.amazon.com/Guard-Dogs-Eva...d+dogs+evaders

I also plan on getting:

http://www.amazon.com/Oakley-Proven-...rds=oakley+otg

I don't expect the guard dogs to last for a very long time because the foam seals are literally just glued on the edges but hopefully these oakleys will give me the durability I need. I just don't know if they'll fit my large frame.

[farmgirl]

Great except they are no longer available. You must have bought the last pair...F/G

[glimmer-of-hope]

oh, bummer, they are no longer available

Do you know about other sunglasses with rubber gaskets?

[DryInDenver]

Have you looked at the Ziena Oasis that are offered in the Dry Eye Store http://www.dryeyeshop.com/by-brand-z...asis-c114.aspx ?

I tried a pair of these on at a local shop and they felt wonderful. They seal with white silicone gaskets that are much less noticeable than the big black foam gaskets on many of the other moisture chamber glasses. I also felt the wind protection was better than from foam gaskets. The only problem for me was that they only come in a women's style. I ended up going with 2 pairs of WileyX Echo, one tinted for outdoor use and on clear for indoor use, since they fit my face much better. But I left wishing Ziena had a men's version of the Oasis because I liked the fit so much.

[MGD666]

I have been looking into the Oakley Wind Jackets myself (which are just the Split Jacket frame with a gasket) and I do know they are still available from several retailers. Unfortunately, I need prescription lenses so the cost is going to even higher than the already very spendy cost of the frames themselves. I am glad to hear they seem to work so well, and I really do like the idea of an alternative to the foam versions of the 7eye and Wiley.

DryinDenver - did you end up getting the Wiley Echos with the older, thicker foam inserts, or the newer lower profile (and less effective ones)? The Echo frame seemed to fit me well too, but I was not real impressed with the foam. I tried on the 7eye Bora, Cape and Whirlwind and they all felt pretty good, and the foam was certainly softer and better sealing. My concern is with fogging - do your Wileys fog much?

[DryInDenver]

I'm pretty sure my Echos have the newer, lower profile foam. It's about 4-5mm thick (8-10 mm including the plastic portion of the insert). They cup well around the top and there is space between the foam and my face at the bottom. Overall they seem to do a decent job for me. I have occasional problems with fogging, but it is not a chronic problem. It is usually on a cold morning while I'm driving to work before my car warms up. I suppose there is a trade off between fogging and how well the glasses seal around the eyes.

However, I agree the foam is not real impressive. That is probably my biggest complaint, is that it seems a bit flimsy. The outer portion of the foam on my sunglasses is already starting to separate a bit from the rest of the foam. Granted I just spend a week in Florida and wore them in the pool and ocean. So the received some pretty unusual and heavy wear, but I'd expect the foam to hold up longer than it did.

Speaking of Florida, man that was such a nice change for my eyes. It's really dry in Denver, and even dryer indoors (like most places). I have a hydrometer in my office at work that usually varies between 7% and 12% through out the day. Florida was about 10 times that at around 70% humidity. The difference was so drastic that going with out my Echos in Floriday was almost equivalent to wearing them in Denver. It was great and really helped me focus on the quality time I was getting with my family (wife, toddler, and baby). It's nice not having to use drops every 5 minutes when you're building sand castles on the beach (for hours on end) at the orders of your three year old (so he can kick them down and order you to build another one. I even got to leave the glasses off for a couple hours at a time when we went out to dinner. I'd love to get to that point in Denver. It would be really nice to be able to enter a long business meeting without the big old Echos on. I think I will try sclerals in the near future.