The Daily Ping

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July 2nd, 2002

A Fun Fact About Eye Drops

This weekend I went to a local Pearle for my eye check. Like many people, I need glasses and contacts – my vision is horrendous without them – and I tend to prefer wearing contact lenses to glasses. But that’s another Ping.

While I was getting my eye exam, I mentioned to the doctor that I had been using eye drops now and then due to dry and red eyes. He then enlightened me and claimed that eye drops did nothing but constrain the blood vessels in one’s eye. Thus, the redness goes away, but it really doesn’t do anything beneficial for the eye.

What do you think? Truth or fiction? I know once I heard this, I was really quite surprised. There are tons of eye drops out there, and to think that a few (or most) of them might not be doing anything was rather surprising.

Posted in Just Plain Odd

wayne February 8, 2007, 8:02 am

hey kaylen, steve, carl. lol same problem here, been using those fucking Visine eyedrops for too long, because the eye doctor said it was safe. I was on steroid eye drops too, which helped a little but not much, my eyes are always red too. but especially when i wake up in the morning.
im not sure if there is a cure for this problem.
im still using the get-the-red out eye drops now because ive got a pretty social life and i dont wanna feel selfconscious about it.
have any of u found a way to treat this ?
cheers

brenda April 24, 2007, 8:40 pm

i probably get veiny red eyes one week a month and i use the clear eye drops twice a day. would that be considered dependent? and if so, how would i get off them.
because i don’t want to be using eye drops for years.

my eyes are also more red in the morning.

hadtostopandberate May 23, 2007, 2:21 pm

I know this is an old ass post, but I had to say something. You are a moron. Constricting the blood vessels *is* doing *something*!! The product claims to lubricate the eye and “Get the red out”. Which is exactly what it does! No fucking conspiracy, douchbag.

Katt July 17, 2007, 11:52 pm

I also use eye drops every day as my eyes get so red I want to stop using them also so if anyone has any helpful tips that would be great!…

melissa September 7, 2007, 1:20 am

Thank you for that informashon sory if I spell someting wrong im 12

Ed September 27, 2007, 1:00 am

1)Any ongoing/semi-regular eye redness needs to seen by a doctor asap. It is usually something minor but many times is a symptom of something serious.

2) Eye drops are ok for short periods of time but significantly increase pressure in the eye which can actually make the veins in the eye get bigger, requiring more eye drops to shrink the veins again but which in time will make the veins even bigger again…… and other bad stuff too!

3) Keep your eye drops cool and DO NOT touch the eye, eye lash etc with the tip. Not doing so means a good chance of bacterial conjunctivitis. NOT FUN.

4) DO NOT use your eye drops prior to going to the doctor! This will mask your problem and make diagnosis harder.

5)If you are currently over using eye drops to control your red eyes and find the drops barely or no longer control your red eyes…STOP immediately and set up an appointment with an ophthalmologist. Hopefully, your biggest problem is the over use.
If you are not so lucky (like me)you may be facing some serious medical.

GO TO THE DOCTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

chris October 11, 2007, 7:26 pm

I have been looking for information on this for a long time, as I to am a long time user of visine, and boy does it suck, its very imbarssing to go out in public, work or other events, and you are the worried about your appearance. what can be done once you stop using the drops,because when I wake up in the morning its unbearable,to even look in the mirror…

Help Please

Katy October 24, 2007, 10:41 am

I feel the same way as you chris! Its like an addiction you have ot kick! Can we do it without going to the doctor-eg cold turkey etc? Please let me kno!

Jay November 6, 2007, 4:45 pm

I found this website http://www.natural-homeremedies.com/homeremedies_eyecare.htm, I hope that it can be of some use. GOOD LUCK:)

me November 8, 2007, 11:42 pm

eyedrops that “get the red out” indeed do only constrict the blood vessels, and thus eliminate the redness. There is nothing medically beneficial about that, so in that sense they don’t “do anything.” However, other eyedrops, such as Liquigel or various artificial tears brands such as Refresh Tears do provide lubrication, such as by carboxymethylcellulose which is only a lubricant and does not constrict blood vessels. These eyedrops then do NOT “get the red out” but do the medically useful function of lubricating and moisturizing your eye if you have a dry eye condition. These will also remove the source of dry-eye pain, and thus indirectly relieve some eye pain if it is caused by dry eyes. Finally there are prescription eyedrops, such as Voltaren, that are painkillers for eye pain, similar to Ibuprofen for the eye, that medically “do something” to help relieve pain.

Diane February 10, 2008, 5:01 pm

Someone just told me that they use Visine to relieve toothache pain? Does anyone know anything about this? Help!

joe March 25, 2008, 3:22 pm

My surgeon (I had PRK done) told me that those Omega-3 supplements help quite a bit. I checked out that natural home remedies site and it looks fairly bunk.

I thought I’d comment that my eye doctors encourage me to use drops 4 to 6 times per day post surgery for a year afterwards. I feel like my eyes get drier after each set of drops. Even the gel variants make them feel worse.

After reading this thread it seems as though I’m better off not using drops at all. I can’t find any evidence on the internet to corroborate these findings at all. Only ads for various drops.

To use eye drops or not? I think not is the safer way.

tim carroll May 6, 2008, 10:32 pm

Sometime using OTC is the only way – I have dry eyes and use every medicine and treatment known – still some days my eyes are so bad – Clear eyes is the only cure.

C Rose December 19, 2009, 1:48 am

I’ve used opcon a which is an allergy and redness reducer eye drop for the past 15 years. I started using them everyday only once or twice a day up to 5-6 times a day over the past two years. I have had so much inflammation over the past two years and have ended up in the emergency room about five times. My eyes were extremely red and swollen. I was put on IV’s with steroids and sent home on oral steroids for a week each time. Recently I was told that I have become addicted to the drops and may have developed an allergy to the preservatives in them. I was told to wean off them and that it could take a long time. It has been exactly a week as of today and I’m about 90-95% better. I have been using preservative free systane lube drops during the day and genteal severe dry eye ointment at night and sometimes during the day. I feel much better and can finally see the whites of my eyes again. If you use redness reducing eye drops, STOP and if you are thinking about it, DON’T…………….. My eyes look better than they have in years and this rough week of withdrawals has been totally worth it. THERE’S HOPE!

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