subject: Using Eye Drops To Prevent Dry Eye [print this page] The causes of dry eyes are many and include; indoor cooling or heating systems, long exposure to wind, dehydration to name but a few. Dry eye is the end result and it's unpleasant. When your eyes are dry, they feel like someone's kicked sand in them. They might water non-stop and you might even experience blurring colours when you are around bright lights at night. Dealing with this problem is irritating, but there is a solution.
There are many types of eye drops on the market to use to when you experience dry eyes, with differing ingredients making up the base. If you are looking for something basic, artificial tears might do the trick. Generally, they contain water, electrolytes, lipids, along with proteins such as lysosyme, which counteracts bacterial cell walls, lactoferrin and lipid binding proteins.
Some artificial tears are made from hydrogels, which are viscosity enhancing polymers. This type is longer lasting due to their mucous adhesive property. The hydrogel itself is what lubricates the eye. Artificial tears are great, but they cannot make up completely for lack of tears altogether.
If you suffer from specific eye problems, there are other options if using artificial tears do not work out. For instance, if you have a meibomian gland dysfunction, you will probably want to choose a product with oils that lubricate the lipid layer of tear film. The oil will also prevent the loss of tears.
Those with extreme dry eye will opt for serum type drops. The serum contains antibodies similar to those found in real human tears, which may prove to be very healing. Using this option is more complicated than just going out and buying eye drops, though; blood donation is involved, so you should speak to your eye doctor about using serum.
Before buying eye drops, you should determine whether you suffer moderate or severe dry eye, as different drops give different results based on the user and his or her symptoms.
For moderate dry eye specifically, you could try an eye drop that features orate and HP-Guar as a base. The HP-Guar interacts with the orate and sorbitol to create a lubricating gel that soothes the cornea. For severe dry eye, try something made with polyethylene glycol 400, sodium chlorite and hyaluronic acid. These elements combine to actually heal the corneal epithelium.
You should also think about how often you are applying the drops. Some people need to use them three to five times today, while other people might only need to use them once or twice. If you overuse this type of product, your eyes might actually feel worse. Again, it's a good idea to speak to an eye specialist for advice before spending lots of money on different products which may do more harm than good.
Dry eye is common, but it's no laughing matter. It can interfere with your daily routine and make work a drag and it can even make watching a movie less fun. Finding the right kind of eye drops is important.
