There are so many eye drops on the shelf at the pharmacy; it is difficult to know which one to go for. First of all, you need to think about why you need these eye drops. Your eyes are precious, and you should not put anything into them if you are unsure. If you think you have an infection or are experiencing pain you should definitely consult a doctor or a pharmacist before buying a product. Extended use of eye drops is not OK… if you feel you can’t live without your eye drops you should find out what the underlying problem is!
Dry eyes
Artificial tears are eye drops used to lubricate dry eyes, and help to maintain moisture (and therefore comfort) in the outer layers of your eyes. Dry eyes can be a result of ageing, certain medications, contact lenses or environmental conditions. There are two categories of artificial tears…
1. Eye drops with preservatives: These often come in larger bottles for multiple uses and contain preservatives that prevent bacteria growing once the bottle has been opened. The preservatives may irritate your eyes if you have very dry eyes however.
2. Preservative-free eye drops: These have less additives and are recommended if you use them regularly (4+ times a day). These usually come in single dose containers, or little sachets.
Red eyes
Red eyes can be caused by eye dryness, so try using artificial tears to clear up the problem first. Decongestant eye drops, or whitening eye drops, contain vasoconstrictors which work by shrinking the tiny blood vessels in the white of your eye, making them less visible.
Beware that eye redness could be a side effect of an underlying problem, and if the problem persists you should definitely see a doctor. Decongestant eye drops can also cause dryness, irritation, dilated pupils and other problems if used too often. Your eyes can develop a tolerance to the eye-whitening effect of these eye drops and can cause even greater redness when the drops wear off.
Itchy eyes
You need antihistamine eye drops for itchy eyes caused by allergies. These eye drops work by reducing the histamine in the eye tissue, and can be bought over the counter at a pharmacy. Some decongestant eye drops contain an antihistamine but it is best not to use these long term.
Article by Claire