Do the eyes work harder when they are dried out?!

I've always wondered this. It seems like my eyes just want to stare at one space when they are dried out. And its hard to make them focus on something else. Its not like my vision is blurry, my eyes just seem to be extremely lazy when they are dried out. I think it has to do with the cold dry winter air? Because I've noticed that these symptoms go away completely when I jump in a hot shower. Am I right on this? Thanks