What Should I Consider When I Buy Eye Drops?
Eye drops come in a number of different formulations. Some are available by prescription only and are used to treat chronic dry eyes, seasonal allergies or infections. There are also many over the counter (OTC) eye drops that may be used for transient eye irritation called by allergies, or dry eyes.
Prescription Eye Drops are numerous. Some of the more well—known like Restasis help the eyes produce tears and may assist with chronic dry eye. Olopatadine (brand name Patanol) is a prescription-only eye drops variant used to treat itching, weepiness, and redness caused by allergies. Numerous prescription eye drops, or eye ointments contain antibiotics and are used to treat eye infections caused by pinkeye, or eye injuries like scratched corneas.
Unlike OTC eye drops, prescription eye drops do need a doctor’s prescription. Most of them do prove very effective in treating the conditions for which they are used. Any eye drops or ointment used to treat infections should only be used by the person for whom they are prescribed, and should be discarded when the infection has cleared.
OTC Eye Drops come in numerous preparations as well. One might be familiar with brand names like Murine or Visine. There are a plethora of artificial tears eye drops for treating chronic dry eyes. These do not cause the eyes to produce more tears, but the drops themselves lubricate the eyes and may help with dry eyes. Some OTC eye drops are targeted at reducing redness in the eyes, and may be helpful if one has bloodshot eyes. Other types of OTC eye drops are targeted toward the allergy sufferer, and may provide some short-term relief from itchy eyes due to allergies.
Most of the commercial brands and generic OTC eye drops do contain a high number of preservatives. These actually may irritate the eyes if the drops are used over long periods of time. Thus OTC drops should be considered for short-term use only. In fact, drops that help reduce redness may cause the eyes to be very dry. As well, OTC eye drops will not treat eye infections like pink eye.
OTC Eye Drops will generally not work when an eye is infected. In fact one should not purchase OTC eye drops if one suspects pink eye or injury to the eye. Instead, one should see a doctor to rule out infection. Pink eye is particularly contagious, and if you have used OTC eye drops at the onset of infection, you should again discard the eye drops immediately. As with any eye drops, use is intended for one person alone, so one should always consider buying each family member his/her own eye drops.
Written by Tricia Ellis-Christensen
