Artificial Tears Choosing the Right Solution for Your Dry Eyes

Dry eye is a common condition that causes uncomfortable sensations in your eyes, including redness, blurred vision, and increased sensitivity to light. This condition occurs when your eyes either don’t produce enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly. Some individuals experience dry eyes due to both factors. At Broadway Eye Clinic, we offer dry eye relief to residents of Salt Lake City.

Many cases of dry eye are treated with eye lubricants known as artificial tears. An optometrist near you can prescribe the appropriate artificial tears for your condition. Read on to learn more about the factors your eye doctor considers before providing a prescription.

Ingredients

One of the key factors the optometrist will consider before prescribing artificial tears is the ingredients used in the formulation. Specifically, they will assess the type of dry eye you have and select the artificial tears best suited to address it.

If your eyes don’t produce enough tears to stay moist, you have a condition called aqueous-deficient dry eye. In this case, hypotonic artificial tears are ideal because they improve tear production. For those with evaporative dry eye, where the tears evaporate too quickly, oil-based eye lubricants are more effective. These lubricants slow down tear evaporation, providing better relief for evaporative dry eye.

Viscosity

Viscosity, or the thickness of the artificial tears, is another important factor that can affect your prescription. Your eye doctor may ask for your preference when evaluating artificial tears based on viscosity. For example, they may ask if you're comfortable applying artificial tears several times throughout the day.

High-viscosity artificial tears tend to last longer on the eyes. If you prefer not to reapply your artificial tears frequently, your optometrist may recommend a high-viscosity product to keep your eyes moisturized for longer periods.

Preservatives

Lastly, your optometrist may consider whether or not the artificial tears contain preservatives. If you need to reapply your artificial tears frequently, your eye doctor might prescribe tears with preservatives. These preservatives help to keep the artificial tears free from bacteria, ensuring they remain safe to use, regardless of how often you need them.

Experience Dry Eye Relief Today

If you're struggling with dry eyes, our eye doctors at Broadway Eye Clinic are here to help. Contact us or visit our eye care clinic in Salt Lake City to get a personalized prescription for artificial tears and experience relief today.