People seeking relief from tired, red eyes don't have to look
far. A lot of over-the-counter (OTC) eyewashes claim they can help. And
they're not humble about it.
Visine promises to "get the red out
in 60 seconds" while Eye-Mo has a daily care formula to "clean and
refresh your eyes." Clear Eyes says it "soothes and cleanses red eyes
of strain and everyday irritation." So popular are these products that
in the United States alone, more than 15 million bottles of eye drops
are sold yearly.
But soaring sales are not proof of efficacy.
While some OTC eyewashes may relieve redness and soothe the eyes for a
few hours, their usefulness is questionable.
The truth is your
eyes don't have to be cleaned with eyewashes. Simple irritation caused
by smog, strong light, sea bathing or bathing in chlorinated water is
often self-limiting and natural tears do a better job of eliminating
these problems.
"Normal eyes don't need cleansing, soothing or
refreshing by solutions of vasoactive and antiseptic chemicals. Simple
irritation disappears of its own accord in about a day. No synthetic
solution can match natural tears for washing away small bits of dust,
dirt or other irritating matter. And human tears contain an enzyme that
has mild antibacterial properties at least as effective as those of
commercial eye solutions," according to the editors of "The Medicine
Show" published by Consumers Union (CU).
Decongestant eye drops
containing naphazoline, tetrahydrozoline or phenylephrine relieve
redness and discomfort by constricting the superficial blood vessels of
the eyes. But what consumers don't know is that the more you use these
products, the more sensitive and redder your eyes will be.
Dr.
Charles N.S. Soparkar and his colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine
in Houston said that frequent use of OTC eye drops may harm the eyes.
In the journal "Archives of Ophthalmology", they reported that 70 people
who had been using non-prescription eyewashes daily for three years
developed acute and chronic forms of conjunctivitis marked by eye
inflammation, discomfort, and discharge. In some, these symptoms
persisted up to 24 weeks after the subjects stopped using the eye drops.
"There's
no question that eye drops can make red eyes feel better and look
brighter. Their shortcoming is that they counteract the symptoms without
solving the problem. When the effect of the drops wears off after three
to four hours, there may be a rebound effect: blood vessels dilate even
more, and the eyes may redden and feel even itchier," revealed Candice
Bushnell in "Health" magazine.
"The rebound effect shouldn't be a
problem if vasoconstricting drops are used once or twice a day for a day
or two and not again for a week. But apply them more often than that,
and you will end up relying on eye drops every three to four hours to
keep your eyes clear. The situation isn't difficult to remedy. You just
have to go 'cold turkey' and live with red eyes for a day or two, and
gradually the problem will resolve itself," Bushnell added.
Another
bad effect of eyewashes is that they may mask symptoms of other
diseases like glaucoma that is sometimes characterized by a vague
discomfort - the kind of feeling you could mistake for tired eyes. In
this case, eye drops won't solve the problem. You have to see an
ophthalmologist for help.
Other possible causes of red eyes are
bacterial or viral infection, errors of refraction like astigmatism or
nearsightedness, hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland),
diabetes, and measles. In these cases, the use of eye drops is not
advised and may delay the user from seeking expert medical help.
For
tired but otherwise healthy eyes, CU's medical consultants said one or
two drops of cold tap water placed in the lower lid with a clean eye
dropper is sufficient. Iced wet compresses applied for 15 minutes will
also help. These home remedies are less expensive than commercial eye
drops and are less likely to give you trouble later.
For puffy eyes, dark circles, and eye bags that can make you
tired and old, use Eyevive, a revolutionary cream that revitalizes your
eyes to bring back their youthful sparkle.
By
Janet Martin
