What is Dry Eye?
Chronic dry eye caused by inflammation can be terribly uncomfortable. This is a fairly common condition with symptoms that include, as the name says, dry eyes.
How Is Dry Eye Diagnosed?
Dry eyes can be the result of several medical conditions or the side effect of some medications. To best determine the cause of your dry eyes, your doctor will need to check your medical history, review what medications you may be on and run some tests.
Causes of Dry Eyes
Your eyes become dry when your tears no longer provide enough moisture to keep them lubricated and comfortable. This might be due to insufficient tear production. A lack of moisture could also be related to the quality of your tears. Without enough moisture, the cornea can become irritated.
Biological and environmental conditions can also lead to dry eyes. These can include:
- being pregnant
- women receiving hormone replacement therapy
- taking certain decongestants, antihistamines, and blood pressure medications, which may cause dry eyes as a side effect
- wearing contact lenses
- laser eye surgery, such as LASIK
- eye strain caused by insufficient blinking
- seasonal allergies
There can be many other causes, too. Diseases of the immune system, such as lupus, can cause dry eyes, as can diseases of the eyes or the skin around the eyelids. Dry eyes also tends to be more common as you get older.
How Are Dry Eyes Treated?
Treatment of dry eyes depends on the underlying cause. Your doctor may prescribe eye drops or artificial tear drops, but when this is not enough your doctor may prescribe a prescription eye drop.
OTC Eye Drops Vs. Prescription Eye Drops
Over-The-Counter
Most over-the-counter (OTC) eye drops contain humectants (substances that help retain moisture), lubricants, and electrolytes, such as potassium. OTC options for dry eyes are available in traditional eye drops, as well as gels and ointments. Gels and ointments tend to stay in the eyes longer, so they’re recommended for overnight use.
- Systane Lubricant Eye Drops 15 ml
- TheraTears Lubricant Eye Drops 15 ml, 0.25%
Watch Out for Preservatives.
Drops without preservatives are
recommended for people with moderate or severe dry eyes. They’re usually packaged
in single-use containers.
- Refresh Optive Fusion Preservative Free UDV 30 vials, 0.5%/1%
- Systane Bion Tears UDV 30 vials
- TheraTears Lubricant Eye Drops UDV 24 vials, 0.25%
Prescription
Prescription eye drops may also include medications to help treat chronic eye problems. Cyclosporine (Restasis) is a prescription eye drop that treats inflammation that causes eye dryness.
This type of inflammation usually stems from a condition known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, also called dry eye syndrome. The drops are usually used twice a day to help increase tear production.
Cyclosporine is recommended for long-term use. It’s only available as a prescription, and it can cause side effects.
The brand name of cyclosporine is called Restasis. Prescription generic Restasis for dry eyes is now available!
Generic Restasis is now available from Canada.
Another Prescription Medication – Lacrisert
Lacrisert is brand name of Hydroxypropyl Cellulose (Ophthalmic Route).
It belongs to the group of medicines known as artificial tears and is inserted in the eye to relieve dryness and irritation caused by reduced tear flow that occurs in certain eye diseases.
How to Save On Eye Drops for Dry Eyes?
Eye drops can be incredibly expensive. Do you want to know some tips for saving money on eye drops?
There are plenty of Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) certified online pharmacies such as Canada Online Health that can provide safe and affordable medications from trusted sources around the world.
Each CIPA pharmacy member is licensed and regulated by the government for safety. CIPA sells prescription medications made by the leading name-brand manufacturers at prices up to 80 percent less than U.S.
Reference:
- webmed.com
- healthline.com
