Contact Lens Friendly Eye Drops

Which are the best drops for dry eyes?

These are sometimes called lubricating eye drops or artificial tears as they behave just like your natural tear film, providing an instant and safe feeling of comfort and aid from dry eyes. They are used by contact lens wearers to provide moisture and aid for dry eyes caused by temporary issues. Things like tiredness, allergy, being in an air-conditioned office, pollution, dehydration, smokey bars or even being in a dry climate. All these things can significantly contribute to a feeling of dryness in your eyes. For more information on the causes of dry eyes we have an article that can give you more detail.

This sensation can be extremely unpleasant if you are a contact lens user. Fortunately, there are eye drops that will save the day. We at Optyk Rozmus offers a selection of contact lens and eye rewetting drops that will keep your eyes and contact lenses fresh and moist all the time. Used whenever needed, they bring you an instant feeling of relief and comfort that lasts for hours.

It is not uncommon to suffer eye dryness as a result of working in front of a computer or other tiring activities. Contact lens wearers are exposed to an even greater risk of eye dryness regardless of the type of lenses they are using. In such cases, the use of drops that mimic natural human tears is the best solution. They lubricate and wet both soft and rigid, gas permeable contact lenses as well as amortize lenses prior to application. They are also very helpful in case of eye irritation and tiredness caused by extended contact lens wear.

Eye drops work very much like your natural tears, which makes them very safe and comfortable. So unless you are allergic to any of the ingredients, you can use these non-prescription drops without any worries. Our selection of eye drops also includes drops perfect for people suffering from dry eyes syndrome, who need good eye hydration and protection on a daily basis.

Please remember that if your dry eye symptoms persist you should visit your eye doctor for an examination. They will be able to rule out the possibility of infection or another issue that could be the root cause of your eye dryness. Never ignore persistent symptoms especially when it comes to your eyes.

Is it OK to use eye drops daily?

Lubricating eye drops are generally safe to use as often as you need them so long as they do not contain preservatives. Artificial tears with preservatives can be great because they're often cheaper and last longer in the bottle, this is because they degrade the growth of bacteria once the bottle has been opened. But for some people, they can make dry eyes worse. Also, other people are actually allergic to preservatives, and others may find that they irritate their eyes.

If you wear contact lenses, the possibility of drops damaging them can make choosing drops a little harder because not all of them play well with contacts. When your contacts are dry, try rewetting drops made for your type of contacts. Check with your doctor before you use any other kinds of drops, and avoid those with preservatives.

Although most bottles of drops contain some sort of preservative to inhibit bacteria once opened, these will not prevent contamination indefinitely. Ophthalmologists recommend disposing of bottles after no longer than three months after opening. Eye drops that contain no preservatives are sometimes packaged in single-use tubes. Some however like Hyabak use an innovatively designed dispenser that limits contamination effectively without the use of a preservative.

Avoid eye drops that contain preservatives if any of these things happen:

• They irritate your eyes
• Your eye dryness is moderate to severe
• You need to use the drops more than four or five times a day
• You use certain kinds of contact lenses (your optician should advise you on this)

If you are new to contacts and the use of eye drops, it's worth trying a few brands to find the one that suits your eyes best. If you still don't have relief after trying various products, the next step might be to try one or more artificial tear ointments. These can temporarily cause blurred vision, so you might prefer to apply the ointment just before bedtime. This however can't be used at the same time as you wear your contact lenses. For this reason, we don't offer them for sale. You will need to speak to your optician about such a solution. See this article on how to deal with dry eye syndrome for more information.

A word of warning, certain products claim to treat the redness. However they only temporarily take the red out of your eyes, and they don’t treat the causes of eye dryness or even the causes of the redness. If your goal is to treat the irritation of dry eyes, you will want to avoid drops that claim to remove redness.

In general, many causes of mild eye dryness can be treated with the drops we make available online. But as mentioned before, dry eyes can be the result of a serious eye health issue. So when you visit your optometrist, in addition to having your sight checked, tell your eye care professional if you experience dry eyes. Knowing the cause of the dryness will help you and your doctor make the best choice of eye drops and other treatments. Also remember that you should have your eye health evaluated annually, just like a regular GP checkup.

When using drops there are some things that you should do and some things that you should not do.

Do's

• Find out how long your drops can be safely used once you open the bottle
• Check the expiration date on the label
• If you’re using drops and an eye ointment, use the ointment first, then apply the drops at least 10 to 15 minutes later
• Replace your drops regularly

Don'ts

• Don’t allow the dropper tip to touch your eye or anything else, you want to keep it ultra clean
• Don't use drops that have expired or been opened for longer than a month
• Don’t share eye drops with another person, the same way you don't share toothbrushes
• Don't continue using drops if they feel at all uncomfortable

If you haven't experienced some relief with these efforts, make an appointment with an eye doctor (ophthalmologist or optometrist), who can suggest other treatments. There are many products available to treat dryness, but getting the advice of an eye doctor is the best step you can take toward more comfortable eyes. You can read more on this in our articles section where we tackle the topics surrounding contact lens use in some detail.

All of the drops in our collection are lens friendly drops and can be safely used without causing damage to your contact lenses no matter which type of modality you use. So get yourself a few bottles so they are always close at hand and ready to provide relief.