{"id":12634,"date":"2021-06-09T06:18:09","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T06:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=12634"},"modified":"2021-07-26T08:44:30","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T08:44:30","slug":"are-eye-drops-confusing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-conditions\/dry-eye\/guide-to-eye-drops\/are-eye-drops-confusing\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Eye Drops Confusing?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Do you get overwhelmed by the selection of eye drops at the pharmacy?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Many people who suffer from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/dry-eye\/\">dry eye syndrome<\/a> (DES) pace up and down the eyecare aisle at their local drugstore, trying to figure out which eye drops will provide the best relief.<\/p>\n<p><i>There is a better way! <\/i>Your optometrist can recommend the best treatment for your eyes, whether it&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/dry-eye\/what-is-dry-eye-syndrome\/\">eye drops<\/a>, an in-office treatment or other options.<\/p>\n<p>If you suffer from dry eye syndrome, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>contact an eye doctor near you<\/b><\/a> to help you find out which eye drops you should be looking for.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SEE RELATED: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/dry-eye\/guide-to-eye-drops\/can-eye-drops-be-overused\/\">Can Eye Drops Be Overused?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find an eye doctor near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<p>Most importantly, determining the source of your dry eye symptoms is critical to obtaining long-term relief. All the eye drops in the world won&#8217;t help if your tear ducts are blocked.<\/p>\n<p>Over-the-counter eye drops will not help eyes that require prescription eye drops.<\/p>\n<p>Below you\u2019ll find\u00a0 more information about dry eye syndrome and eye drops.<\/p>\n<h2><b>How do eye drops relieve DES symptoms?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/dry-eye\/\">Dry eye syndrome<\/a> is caused by a chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eye. Red, itchy, gritty, watery eyes, impaired vision and light sensitivity are all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/dry-eye\/what-is-dry-eye-syndrome\/\">common DES symptoms.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>There are 3 main types of DES:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Aqueous deficient DES<\/b> occurs if your lacrimal glands (water glands) don\u2019t produce enough water. If you don\u2019t have a sufficient amount of tears, you may experience pain with each blink.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Evaporative DES<\/b> occurs if your meibomian glands become clogged and prevent the oil portion of your tears from secreting sufficiently. If you don\u2019t have enough oil in your tears, they will evaporate very quickly.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Mixed DES<\/b> is a combination of both.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Various eye drops target <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/dry-eye\/what-is-dry-eye-syndrome\/\">different forms of DES<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/dry-eye\/what-is-dry-eye-syndrome\/dry-eyes-or-eye-allergies\/\">Dry eyes can also be caused by allergies<\/a>, if your dry eye syndrome is caused by an allergic reaction, your eye doctor may prescribe antihistamine eye drops. If you have evaporative DES, your optometrist may offer an oil-containing eye drop to help you maintain a healthy tear film.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Be aware of preservatives\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Depending on the underlying cause of your DES, your eye doctor may offer either prescription medicated eye drops or over-the-counter lubricating eye drops.<\/p>\n<p>Over-the-counter artificial tears come in two forms: with preservatives and without preservatives.<\/p>\n<p>Most eye drops that are in bottles contain preservatives that, when used repeatedly, may cause irritation and harmful effects on the eye&#8217;s surface.<\/p>\n<p>Preservative-free eye drops may be recommended by your eye doctor so that you can use them throughout the day without worrying about irritating or hurting your eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Eye drops can be free of preservatives and come in single-dose vials to ensure sterility and precise dosage.<\/p>\n<p>A comprehensive eye exam is the best way to know how to treat your dry eyes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1627371425620000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFAkq20Jd9C3VzyQMS6lJ_Six2mcA\">Guide to Eye Conditions<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>Make an appointment with an eye doctor near you<\/b><\/a> who can determine the cause of your dry eyes, and then recommend the best eye drops or other treatment and give you back your white and comfortable eyes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you get overwhelmed by the selection of eye drops at the pharmacy? Many people who suffer from dry eye syndrome (DES) pace up and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":12635,"parent":5479,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12634","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Are Eye Drops Confusing? - Optometrists.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-conditions\/dry-eye\/guide-to-eye-drops\/are-eye-drops-confusing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Are Eye Drops Confusing? - Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Do you get overwhelmed by the selection of eye drops at the pharmacy? 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