How Often To Use Artificial Tears

Bogus tears are meant to help proceed your eyes healthy when your own eyes aren't producing enough tears. Your eye wellness professional may recommend them for dry heart symptoms that arise from several conditions, including calculator eye strain, medication use, and the aging process.

While it'south incommunicable for over-the-counter artificial tear brands to substitute perfectly for natural tears, many are formulated to provide at to the lowest degree some benefits that are like to real tears.

This article explains different types of these formulas and how they work. It includes data about some artificial tear brands, as well every bit bones guidelines on how to apply artificial tears to your eyes.

Jrgen Hopf / EyeEm / Getty Images

Purpose of Artificial Tears

Your tears play an important part in keeping you good for you. Tears keep the surface of your eyes make clean and moist and help protect your eyes from debris and bacteria.

Although they may appear to be nil more than water, your tears are actually quite complex. They are composed of:

Water
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Electrolytes
Vitamins
Lysozymes (enzymes that impale leaner and viruses)
Lactoferrin (proteins that prevent or slow bacterial growth)
Bounden proteins and vitamins

A model of the tear moving picture that scientists take adopted is a basic 3-layer moving-picture show that consists of a mucus layer, water layer, and a lipid or oily layer. Manufacturers of bogus tears try to simulate the natural tear film or at least one of the 3 layers to improve where natural tears are defective.

Some artificial tears are sparse like h2o and some are thick, nigh like a gel. Near artificial tears contain hydrogels or particles that work to increase the moisture in your eyes for a longer period of time.

Different types of artificial tears may seem to work better for your eyes than others. For example, brands of artificial tears that incorporate more hydrogels volition work to increase heart moisture over longer periods of fourth dimension. Preservative-free options may be better if you utilise eye drops more than four times a day.

Types of Artificial Tears

Artificial tear formulas vary depending on the product and its purpose. Not all types offer benefits for all people, and then information technology's important to know the differences and read labels.

Preservative vs. Preservative-Costless

Some artificial tears contain preservatives and some don't. While preservatives volition not cause impairment to most of us, people with severe dry eye syndrome tin can have a toxic or sensitivity reaction to them that can really worsen their symptoms.

A especially well-known preservative called benzalkonium chloride, or BAK, should be avoided for peculiarly sensitive individuals.

Only it'southward among the most commonly used preservatives and constitute in many eye care brands, so be certain to read ingredient labels if you demand to apply drops oft for a severe syndrome.

Tear Irresolute

Some artificial tears have ingredients that change the chemical make-upward of your tears to decrease negative or pathological changes that can occur to your center. These changes may occur when you have dry optics for a long menstruation of time.

Ane school of idea is that if yous change the limerick of the tear film, the symptoms of dry eye will exist reduced. Artificial tear brands that change the composition of your tears include:

Optive
Akwa Tears
Thera Tears

Heart Coating

Some artificial tears take ingredients that promote healing of the surface cells of the center. Artificial tears that contain hydroxypropyl guar are much more likely to amend the moisture content of cells that have more damage due to dryness.

HP-guar is a molecule that forms a gel layer that protects the damaged cells. This gel layer likewise increases the likelihood of the h2o component of your tears to "stick" to your eye. Bogus tear brands that work by coating the eye include:

Systane Ultra
Blink Tears

Oil Stabilizing

Some bogus tears aim to stabilize the oil office of the tear film. The oil part of the tear film tin exist disrupted if conditions such as blepharitis or meibomian gland dysfunction occur.

If the oil part of the tear layer is disrupted, your natural tears will evaporate at a much faster rate than normal, leaving your eyes feeling dry out and gritty.

These artificial tear brands contain oily ingredients such as castor oil or mineral oil. Examples include:

Refresh Endura
Systane Balance
Smooth XP

How to Apply Artificial Tears

Applying artificial tears is typically straightforward. It works all-time when y'all tip your head back, pulling down your eyelid slightly and then you create a "pocket" space for the eyedrops.

With your other hand, clasp the appropriate amount of bogus tears into the space. Close your eye, and keep a finger pressed on the corner near your olfactory organ for a minute. This will keep the artificial tears from running out of the eye or into your nose.

For some people, the best fourth dimension to apply artificial tears or ointment may be at night so as to avoid dry center symptoms when they wake upwards. Just information technology will depend on the reason for their use and how oft they are needed, so cheque with your eye intendance professional about when to use your center drops.

A Discussion From Verywell

It is important for you to discuss your dry out centre symptoms with your middle care professional. They tin can accurately diagnosis the cause of your dry eyes and recommend a specific artificial tears. It may exist a improve alternative for the blazon and severity of your dry eye condition.

Verywell Health uses merely loftier-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how nosotros fact-cheque and continue our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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Additional Reading

The Middle Digest, The University of Illinois, Eye & Ear Infirmary, Chicago, Illinois. Bogus Tears: Too Many Choices.

By Troy Bedinghaus, OD
Troy L. Bedinghaus, OD, board-certified optometric physician, owns Lakewood Family Eye Care in Florida. He is an active fellow member of the American Optometric Association.

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