18/09/2026
It’s kinda embarrassing as an eye doctor to have red eyes from haze, but we don’t have special immunity.
If your eyes are red, watery, itchy and irritated from the haze lately, artificial tears can really help to soothe and wash away the dust if you put it correctly.
Most people put artificial tears / eye drops wrong:
Two mistakes I see all the time:
1. Touching the tip of the bottle to your lashes or your eyeball. That contaminates the whole bottle.
2. Blinking hard right after, which just squeezes the drop right out. So it doesn’t work.
How to put artificial tears the RIGHT way (eye doctor method):
1. Wash your hands - crucial during haze season, don’t bring dust into your eyes.
2. Look up, pull down lower eyelid - make a small pocket. Don’t pull your upper lid.
3. Hold bottle above eye, NO CONTACT - squeeze ONE drop into the pocket. One drop is enough, more is not better.
4. Close eyes gently, don’t blink hard - press lightly on inner corner of eye for 30 seconds. This is punctal occlusion, it keeps the drop in longer so it works.
If you need a second drop, wait 1-2 minutes.
Pro tips for haze red eyes / dry eyes relief:
- Use preservative-free artificial tears if you need it >4 times a day
- Remove contact lenses first, wait 10 mins after drops
- Don’t share your bottle, check expiry date
- Stay indoors when API is high, wear sunglasses outdoors
This is for general education on how to apply eye drops correctly and how to relieve red eyes due to haze / dry eyes. If you have severe eye pain, thick discharge, blurred vision, or redness lasting >3 days, please get your eyes checked.
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Dr. Andrew Low
