Do you feel red, scratchy eyes and feel something is stuck in your eyes that you can not get rid of? Then you must be suffering from dry eyes. When you suffer extreme discomfort in the eyes as a result of dry people, most people find themself going to the nearest pharmacy to find the perfect eye drops for dry eyes in the hope of getting some relief.
Dry eyes patients are increasing day by day as people are spending way too much time in front of electric devices nowadays. And with the increasing number of dry eye patients, the demand for eye drops is also increasing.
However, the problem is finding the perfect eye drop for your dry eye condition is not that easy as there are too many options to choose from. One should really be careful about choosing the right ideal artificial tears or eye drops, as choosing the wrong one can worsen your dry eye.
Types of Eye Drop for Dry Eye
The eye drop or artificial tears available over the counter can be divided into six categories. Knowing the tear’s side effects will help you a great deal in choosing the one that’s good for your eyes. Those include:
1. Preserved Artificial Tears
Preserved artificial tears are usually long-lasting as they contain added preservatives, and make sure to keep the bacteria at a distance once you open the bottle. However, it can show negative effects on people who are super sensitive.
At times, preserved artificial tears can cause inflammatory dry eye disease, meibomian gland dysfunction, and also an allergic reaction. These tears will provide you temporary relief but may end up doing more bad than good in the long term. And if you wear contact lenses, then you are also in danger that contact lenses will store these tears.
2. Preservative-Free Artificial Tears
If you are a contact lens wearer, then you should go for preservative-free eye drops as with these, you can be safe as contact lenses will not hold any preservatives that can potentially damage your eyes. Also, these are great for allergy-prone eyes as they are made of fewer ingredients, and less chance of eye allergy and irritation. You can store the opened bottles in the refrigerator to avoid bacteria growth.
3. Oil-Based Artificial Tears
Oil-based tears are different from traditional ones and because the oil prevents the water in the tears from evaporating easily. If you have a problem using the traditional tears, then you should use oil-based artificial tears.
Oil-based eye drops are great for moderate or severe dry eye and come in both preservative and preservative free versions. However, experts do not recommend this to contact lens wearers as oils can stick to the surface of the lens.
4. Artificial Tear Gel
Tear gel is great for severe dry eyes, and you can use them for relief as it effectively soothes the eyes. You can use them as eye drops, but it sometimes can make your vision blurry for a few minutes because of the thicker consistency.
Artificial Tear Gel also contains preservatives and is not recommended for contact lens users.
5. Eye Drop Spray
If you have dry eyes and feel irritation in both your eye and eyelids, you should use eye drop spray or mist. You can easily use these by keeping them close to your eyes and then spraying them onto the closed eyelids. The tears will slide into your eyes once you blink.
However, never use eye drop spray if you have make-up or any other creams on your eyelids.
6. Artificial Tear Ointment
Artificial Tear Ointments are thick, and as they coat the front of your eyes, they tend to blur your vision. So, experts recommend using these ointments at bedtime or before going to sleep.
You must keep in mind that eye drops will provide temporary relief to your dry eyes only, and if you are looking to treat the root cause, you should consult an eye doctor. Also, it is a great idea to consult your doctor before choosing the type of eye drop as the wrong type of drop can damage your eyes.
Advanced Eye Clinic provides expert service for dry eyes. For an appointment with doctors to treat your eye care, book an appointment or contact us or call at 817-741-1073
