If you have ever noticed a dry and burning sensation under your eyelids, you likely are experiencing dry eye. This is an extremely common condition, and it’s about more than just dry sensations. Over time, this condition can lead to long-term irritation and damage to the cornea, making it essential to seek dry eye treatment from a trained optometrist. But what if you just want fast-acting temporary relief to get through the day? This is when eye drops are ideal.
Eye drops can be an excellent way to find relief from your dry eyes. However, it’s important to use them properly. If your eye drops have preservatives, do not use them more than 4 times a day; if your drops are preservative-free, you can use them as needed. Make sure that you always read the bottle before applying your eye drops to verify whether or not they’re safe to use, or reach out to your optometrist for advice.
What Causes Dry Eyes?
To begin: what exactly causes dry eyes? This is an extremely common condition caused by an imbalance in your tear film. Either:
- Your eye is producing tears of too-poor quality, or
- Your eye cannot produce enough tears
This is often due to a problem with your meibomian glands—the tiny little glands in your eyelids that produce oils for your tear films. These oils coat the outside of your tear film to prevent early evaporation, allowing your tears to protect your eyes and keep them hydrated, nourished, and clean.
When these meibomian glands become blocked in any way, the oils can no longer reach the tear film. This causes the tears to evaporate too soon, and your tear film is no longer capable of doing its job. This condition, called meibomian gland dysfunction, causes an imbalance in your tear film.
This leads to:
- Dry and burning sensations
- Redness
- Overly watery eyes
- Irritation and discomfort
Fortunately, there’s good news: dry eye is common enough that you can find treatment with your optometrist.
Other Ways to Treat Dry Eyes
At Calgary Trail Vision Centre, we believe in a well-rounded approach. Dry eyes shouldn’t stop you from experiencing life. When you come to visit our team for dry eye therapy, we will recommend one of the following:
- A combination of intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment and low-level light therapy (LLLT), where light-based heat is carefully applied to stimulate the meibomian glands to encourage proper oil production and flow.
- iLux treatment, where gentle heat and massaging helps melt oil blockages to stimulate oil flow.
- TempSure Envi, a radiofrequency treatment that warms the skin and encourages collagen production to promote the body’s natural healing process.
- Omega-3 fatty acid supplements to promote regular healthy tear production.
However, what if you’re looking for temporary relief to use as you need? In that case, we would recommend eye drops.
Do Eye Drops Help with Dry Eyes?
Eye drops can be an excellent approach to finding immediate relief from dry eyes. They help increase fluid in the eye’s surface while temporarily stabilizing the tear film. This helps to bring comfort from the burning and stinging sensations often caused by dry eyes.
However, it’s important to verify that you’re using your eye drops appropriately. Before using any new eye drops, make sure that you thoroughly read the label; not all eye drops are the same, and if used incorrectly, can cause further irritation rather than helping find relief.
For chronic dry eyes, preservative-free eye drops are often recommended. When eye drops have preservatives, they can often cause irritation if used too often. Instead, thoroughly read the label; if the drops are preservative-free, they’re likely more ideal for dry eyes.
If you’re unsure of whether or not your eye drops can help, speak to your optometrist. They can recommend an appropriate type of drops to help you find relief; in some cases, they may even provide you with a prescription for a stronger type of drop.
But how often should you use them?
When to Use Eye Drops
If your eye drops have preservatives, don’t use them more than 4 times a day. It will be noted on the label of the bottle. Overuse can irritate your eyes further and potentially cause other issues. However, if your eye drops are preservative-free, you can use them as recommended to find relief whenever you need it.
Even though eye drops can provide immediate and significant relief, it’s essential to use them as directed. Just like any medication, overuse can lead to a dependency or a less effective result. If you find yourself constantly using eye drops, it may be a sign that you need to seek further in-office treatment with our team.
If you’re not certain how often to use them, reach out to your optometrist for advice.
Get Help for Your Dry Eyes
Eye drops can be incredibly helpful to find temporary relief, but they can’t solve the root cause of your dry eyes. If you’re constantly experiencing dry eyes, come visit our team at Calgary Trail Vision Centre. We can help you find relief with our dry eye therapy. Don’t let dry eyes get in the way of experiencing life’s great moments; book an appointment with our team today.