Can Over-the-Counter Eye Drops Stop My Eyes from Being So Dry?

Millions of Americans suffer from dry eyes and the uncomfortable symptoms they cause. But dry eyes are more than just an annoyance: Without adequate tears, your eyes are more prone to scratches, infections, and other serious problems.

If you have dry eyes, you might be wondering if over-the-counter eye drops can provide the long-term relief you’ve been looking for. In this post, the team at Long Island Ophthalmic Concepts explains when over-the-counter (OTC) drops can help and when you might need a stronger solution.

Dry eye basics

Dry eyes typically happen because your eyes don’t produce enough tears to keep your eyes lubricated, or because the tears they do make are of a lower quality, leaving them to evaporate too quickly. Sometimes, dry eyes happen due to a problem with the way your eyes release tears or spread them across the surface — for instance, a problem with the tear ducts or the eyelids.

Dry eyes cause an array of uncomfortable symptoms, including:

• Gritty sensations
• Burning sensations
• Itching
• Irritation
• Eye redness
• Blurry vision

Ironically, some people with dry eyes find their eyes produce an excess of tears to soothe irritation, but those tears are too thin to provide adequate lubrication.

Tear production naturally decreases with age, but dry eyes can also be caused by environmental factors, medications, contact lens wear, screen use, or even underlying health conditions like autoimmune diseases. Spending lots of time in dry or polluted environments can trigger symptoms, too.

Dry eyes can be a temporary condition, the result of spending time in a windy or sunny environment, for instance. But if you have recurrent or chronically dry eyes, you might have dry eye syndrome, a condition that requires ongoing management to keep your eyes healthy.

Using over-the-counter eye drops

For many people with dry eyes, OTC lubricating eye drops are often the first line of defense. Referred to as artificial tears, these drops are thicker than other drops and designed to add much-needed moisture to the eye surface. For mild symptoms, artificial tears can provide a measure of temporary relief while soothing irritation.

Several brands of artificial tears are available, and while all are designed to treat dry eye symptoms, they may feature different formulations and contain different ingredients. For instance, some ingredients may slow evaporation from the eye surface, while others enhance the oily component of tears. There are even preservative-free options, which are often a good choice if you use drops multiple times a day.

It’s important to note that while artificial tears help relieve the symptoms of dry eyes, they don’t address the underlying cause. If you have dry eyes regularly, it’s a better idea to schedule an eye exam so we can find out what’s causing it — and tailor a treatment that offers long-term relief.

Prescription drops and more

Many people with dry eye syndrome benefit from prescription eye drops. These drops contain medications that help relieve inflammation, a common cause of dry eye syndrome. 

Prescription drops are dosed like any medication, and it’s important to use them exactly as directed. It might take a few weeks before drops take their full effect, but once they do, they can provide significant relief for many people with moderate to severe dry eyes.

If prescription drops aren’t enough to calm your symptoms, we might recommend a cutting-edge treatment called LipiFlow. This treatment applies heat and gentle massage to your inner and outer eyelids, stimulating tiny oil glands. These glands produce the oily layer in your tears, improving lubrication and preventing premature evaporation.

For dry eyes caused by rapid evaporation or problems with your eyelids, our team offers minimally invasive options to slow evaporation and optimize tear production and flow. Your treatment will be tailored to the underlying cause of your dry eye symptoms.

Don’t ignore your dry eyes

Without tears, your eyes are subjected to chronic irritation that, in turn, can lead to eye damage and vision problems. To learn how we can help relieve your symptoms and protect your vision, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Long Island Ophthalmic Concepts in Bellmore and Great Neck, New York, today.