“Can eye drops make dry eyes worse?”
I am a 39 year old male. I am using eye drops for dry eyes. Can eye drops make dry eyes worse?
6 Answers
OphthalmologistOphthalmologist
Depends on what eye drops you are using. Dry eyes are treated with artificial tears.
If you use them too frequently, the preservatives can make things worse.
Certainly the use of artificial tears should never make dry eyes worse. They may be ineffective in treatment however and other treatments may be indicated. Eye drops being used for other conditions such as glaucoma can negatively impact the use of artificial tears in its treatment.
It really depends on what kind of drops. Artificial tears won’t make dry eye worse. Some kinds of drops, the kind that say they will “get the red out,“ may ultimately end up with the eye getting red more often. Again, it really depends on what kind of eye drops you’re talking about, there are so many.
Yes, some drops cause dryness. If you use artificial tears or lubrication it should be fine.
Usually not
