Eye Health Center

Font Size

Eyedrops: An Ocean of Uses

Whether eyedrops are treating "lazy eye," working to delay or prevent glaucoma, or helping dry or irritated eyes stay moist, they're getting more use than ever before. Here's what's new about today's eyedrops.

What Are Eyedrops?

Eyedrops usually contain saline as a base ingredient. Depending on their intended use, they may also contain lubricating, tear-replacing (artificial tears), antiredness, and other substances, as well as medications.

Common Uses for Eyedrops

Eyedrops are commonly used for:

Cataract surgery (lens removal and replacement with an artificial lens). Before surgery, eyedrops are used to reduce infection, make the pupil larger, and numb the eye area. After surgery, eyedrops may reduce the risk of infection and help healing.

Conjunctivitis (pinkeye) is an infection or irritation of the conjunctiva -- the clear lining of the eyelids and the white surface membrane of the eye. Causes include bacterial or viral infection, environmental irritants, and allergy. It may also be caused by eyedrops that have become contaminated.

Symptoms include itching, burning, redness, and swelling. Treatment may include antibiotic eyedrops.

Contact lens rewetting and eye surface lubrication. If your eyes sometimes feel dry wearing contact lenses, choose eyedrops specifically intended for use with contacts. Other drops could discolor your contacts or temporarily change their fit.

Corneal infection (keratitis). Causes may be bacterial or viral. This is the most severe complication of wearing contact lenses. Minor infections may be treated with antibacterial eyedrops. More severe infections may also require steroid eye drop treatment.

Corneal transplant surgery (replacement of a diseased or scarred cornea with a clear one, usually from an eye bank). After surgery, eyedrops may help healing.

Dry eye (low tear production, common with aging). Tear "quality" is determined by the health of each of the three tear-film layers:

The outer, oily layer, which helps prevent moisture evaporation.
A middle, watery layer, which nourishes the eye.
An inner, mucous layer which helps the middle-layer nutrients enter the cornea.

With poor-quality outer and inner layers, tears don't stay on the eye long enough to lubricate it. This may cause a "sandy" or scratchy feeling. Other symptoms may include:

Burning or stinging
Pain and redness
Stringy eye discharge
Eyelid heaviness
Vision changes
Excessive tearing, but these "reflex" tears do not help relieve dry eye, because they don't stay in the eye long enough.

Artificial tears are commonly used to lubricate dry eyes during the day.

Eye allergies (symptoms include eye itching, tearing, redness, watery discharge, stinging, and burning). Many different types and brands of eyedrops help relieve "allergy eye" (allergic conjunctivitis) symptoms. They include artificial tears, which do not contain medication, and eyedrops containing medications such as:

Antihistamines, which provide short-lived relief.
Mast cell stabilizers, which are similar to antihistamines, but provide longer-lasting relief. (Some newer eyedrops contain both antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers for both quick and long-lasting relief.)
Decongestants, which are available (alone or with antihistamines) in many nonprescription eyedrops, including those that reduce redness. These drops should not be used longer than two to three days to avoid the "rebound effect" of increased -- and potentially chronic --- redness and swelling.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, which can be helpful but may cause stinging and burning briefly when applied.
Prescription corticosteroids, which may be used short-term and cautiously (because of potential side effects) to help relieve severe or chronic eye allergy symptoms.