Whether or not you suffer from allergy eyes, itchy and swollen, or dry eye syndrome, there is almost always a reason to own a bottle of eye drops. Even consider how panicky it is when something is in your eye! Without eye drops flushing the eyelid quickly wouldn’t be a safe practice and so we exist harmoniously with eye drops because they provide an incredibly important service to us. However, not all drops are equal or created the same. Here are the drops you should and shouldn’t use.
Types of Eye Drops
Preserved Artificial Tears
These kinds of drops have a very long shelf life because they contain preservatives. They are, however, not healthy preservatives to go in the eye and therefore should be avoided completely. These kind of drops are not once you want to use.
Preservative-Free Artificial Tears
These kinds of drops are perfect for contact wearers because these drops provide moisture without harming your eyes. These can be used as often as you need to keep your eyes feeling happy and moist.
Oil-Based Artificial Tears
These drops are not recommendation for those who wear contacts because the oil can interact badly with the lenses. For those without contacts, however, these drops come in both preserved and preservative-free options that can provide intense moisture support.
Mists or Sprays
Eye sprays are preservative-free and can gently relieve dryness and irritation.
Artificial Tear Gel
Typically not suitable for contact wearers, artificial tear gels are thick and provide long term moisture for dry eyes.
Artificial Tear Ointment
Similar to the gel, artificial tear ointments are thick and are applied to the front of the eye.
Conclusion
Always speak to your eye doctor first about what eye drops are best for you to use and why. Remember to avoid preserved eye drops and to only use eye drops when necessary. For more information on eye health, contact Whitney Eye Care today.
