Stay Active, Stay Focused: Eye Care in Motion

Welcome to the annual dry eye awareness month blog! July is an opportunity to highlight the importance of some positive eye health practices. This year, the focus is maintaining healthy eyes even on those more active days!

Summer is here in full force and that means spending more time outdoors. Whether hiking in Banff, kayaking in Vancouver or cycling in Montreal, July in Canada is always an active time filled with excitement and fresh air.

While enjoying everything summer has to offer, the eyes might be fighting a hidden battle against the elements. For example, when playing volleyball by the beach, the strong heat from the sun and direction of the wind may both increase the evaporation of tears, leaving eyes feeling dry, irritated and tired [1].

Experience eyes randomly tearing up during the summer? This is one of the tell-tale symptoms of evaporative dry eye [2] which is the most common type of dry eye [3] and is experienced by people of all ages, even kids! Perhaps it is the first time experiencing dry eye? Do not be afraid! In a nutshell, the eyes have a thin tear film made up mainly of water coated with a thin lipid top layer that acts as a sealant to lock in moisture. Imbalances in this lipid layer can lead to increased susceptibility to evaporative dry eye. In response to this imbalance, the eye tries to compensate by overproducing the watery part of tears, but that does not solve the root of the issue: the lipid deficiency.

So, how can summer activities be enjoyed while supporting optimal eye health?  

1. Wear sunglasses to protect the eyes from the wind, dust and UV rays [2]. 

2. Stay hydrated. In these warmer months, it is especially important to avoid dehydration, which can lead to fatigue, dizziness and worsened dry eye symptoms [4].

3. Blink often! Every blink redistributes tears and replenishes the lipid layer of the tear film to keep the eyes lubricated [5].

4. Ask a health care professional about CALMO® EYE SPRAY!

Stay focused on summer activities without worrying about dry eye with CALMO® EYE SPRAY now in a new amber bottle with the same trusted formula! Easy to use by spraying onto closed eyes, CALMO® EYE SPRAY is the liposomal spray solution to dry eye and evaporative dry eye needs.

Sprayed onto closed eyes? How does it work?

 

Once sprayed, CALMO® EYE SPRAY travels along the lid margin containing liposomes similar to those naturally found in eyes to stabilize the lipid layer and help provide moisture [6].

Here are a few benefits of using CALMO® EYE SPRAY:

1. A spray alternative to eye drops. No need to sit down, hold an eye open and tilt the head back for this relief. On a hike, out for a run or in between tennis matches? Simply spray CALMO® EYE SPRAY onto closed eyes wherever and be rid of evaporative dry eye symptoms for up to 4 hours.

2. Contact lens and make up friendly. Glammed up for a night on the town? Contacts on for some early morning canoeing? At home reading a book after a long, action-packed day? CALMO® EYE SPRAY can be applied in all of these circumstances and more.

3. Phosphate-free and preservative-free formula that offers strong dry eye relief while staying gentle on the eyes and skin for a refreshing experience.

4. New amber bottle, same trusted formula! Get the same great benefits of CALMO® EYE SPRAY in a new eco-friendly bottle that provides increased light protection. Experience comfortable dry eye relief and feel good doing it.

CALMO® EYE SPRAY may be an excellent entry point to the world of dry eye care, sprayed onto closed eyes anywhere, anytime to keep you focused. For more seasoned dry eye care enthusiasts, feel free to combine CALMO® EYE SPRAY with HYLO-DUAL® to keep dry eye at bay all summer long.  

Know someone whose eyes are always excessively tearing? Send them this blog and become their dry eye hero.

Should you have any concerns about your eye health, please consult with your eye health professional for medical assistance.

CandorVision® – Your eyes are everything!

References:

1. Alves M, Asbell P, Dogru M, Giannaccare G, Grau A, Gregory D, et al. TFOS lifestyle report: Impact of environmental conditions on the ocular surface. The Ocular Surface. 2023 Jul;29:1–52.

2. What is Dry Eye? [Internet]. Cleveland Clinic. 2025 [cited 2025 Jun 25]. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24479-dry-eye

3. Findlay Q, Reid K. Dry eye disease: When to treat and when to refer. Australian Prescriber. 2018 Oct 2;41(5):160–3.

4. Jones L, Downie LE, Korb D, Benitez-del-Castillo JM, Dana R, Deng SX, et al. TFOS DEWS II management and therapy report. The Ocular Surface. 2017 Jul;15(3):575–628.

5. Yokoi N, Bron AJ, Georgiev GAs. The precorneal tear film as a fluid shell: The effect of blinking and saccades on Tear Film Distribution and Dynamics. The Ocular Surface. 2014 Oct;12(4):252–66.

6. Pult H, Khatum FS, Trave-Huarte S, Wolffsohn JS. Effect of eye spray phospholipid concentration on the tear film and Ocular Comfort. Eye & Contact Lens: Science & Clinical Practice. 2021 Mar 30;47(8):445–8.