Dry eyes have been a serious problem for innumerable people across the world. In fact, currently, 15% of Americans suffer from dry eyes and it is shown that eye drops can be helpful. Actually, if you’re among this group, you’re likely familiar with the distressing symptoms it can cause.
You know, that annoying feeling of itchiness, irritation, and fatigue that makes you want to rub your eyes or blink a lot. Rubbing or blinking isn’t something you should even consider, as it can make your dry eye soreness worse.
So how can you relieve dry eye symptoms and keep your eyes healthy and comfortable? Well, one simple solution is to use eye drops. You can check out Dry Eye Directory for prescription eye drops for dry eyes. But how do eye drops help with dry eyes?
In this post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about eye drops for dry eyes. We will answer whether eye drops help with dry eyes and how to select the proper eye drops for your needs. Let’s get started!
Are Eye Drops Helpful for Dry Eyes?
Yes, eye drops do help with dry eyes.
They help;
Lubricate Eyes: Eye drops help replace your eye’s natural moisture when they aren’t making enough tears. They work by adding some of the similar elements your eye needs to form tears naturally. It, in turn, helps the tear film work effectively to retain moisture and protect your eye’s surface.
Promote Tear Production: Eye drops also act as lubricants, which means that they help reduce friction on your eye’s ocular surface. With decreased friction, the tear film can start producing tears. It also helps moisturize and soften the ocular surface.
The eye drop forms an oily layer, which helps trap the existing moisture in your eye’s tissue, thus moisturizing and softening part of your eye’s tear film.
Reduce Inflammation: If your eye has an infection that seems to worsen your dry eye symptoms, using eye drops can help reduce inflammation. With the infection handled, your dry eye symptoms also reduce
But with all the benefits of eye drops, using them often without a doctor’s prescription comes with severe consequences. Some of these consequences include:
- Blurry vision
- An allergic reaction to the eye drops. Some symptoms you can experience from the overuse of eye drops include itchiness, dizziness, breathing problems, or feeling sick. If you experience any symptoms, you should stop using the eye drops and visit a doctor immediately.
How to Choose the Right Eye Drop for Dry Eyes
One crucial consideration you should make when selecting the right eye drop for dry eyes is the type. Let’s explore how the type of eye drop impacts your dry eye symptoms.
The Different Types of Eye Drops
Eye drops for dry eyes come in different types, including over-the-counter drops or artificial tears and allergy eye drops. Each eye drop comes in a gel, liquid, or ointment form. So, what is the difference between these two types of eye drops?
Artificial Tears: The primary job of these eye drops is to keep your eye’s surface nice and most. They mimic your real tears, which is how they can accomplish their primary goal.
However, there are different types of artificial tears, which tends to make narrowing down your choice even harder. Some common ingredients you will find in artificial tears include:
- Electrolytes like potassium and sodium
- Guar gum, which is found in oilier artificial tears. This ingredient helps get your dry eyes to tear up.
- Preservatives, which help keep your eye drops bacteria-free. But you may need to avoid artificial tears containing preservatives if:
- Your dry eye symptoms become severe
- They cause irritation
- You use eye drops more than four times a day
Allergy Drops
These are eye drops you go for when you need relief from watery, itchy, red eyes. When your body has an allergic reaction to pollen or other allergens, it releases histamines, leading to itchy eyes, a runny nose, and other allergy symptoms.
However, those allergies can affect an individual with dry eyes. If your allergies are exacerbating your dry eyes, using allergy eye drops should provide relief.
Related:Optivisum Eye Drop Reviews, Side Effects & Benefits
Are Eye Drops the Right Treatment for My Dry Eyes?
Dry eye treatment varies based on an individual’s eye health and needs. Although over-the-counter eye drops can alleviate dry eye symptoms, they may not be effective for everyone.
If you find that you are using eye drops more than the recommended four times a day, you should visit an optometrist. They will prescribe a more long-term treatment solution for your dry eye condition.
Now that you understand how eye drops can help with dry eyes, it’s essential to use them responsibly to avoid exacerbating your symptoms.