How should doctors choose eye drops?👀👀👀

Today's people's work patterns and lifestyles have changed. These changes place an increasing burden on the eyes. Therefore, more and more people have some problems with their eyes nowadays. Eyes can feel uncomfortable for various reasons in everyday life. Dryness, fatigue, bloodshot eyes, itching, etc. are mild symptoms of the eyes. Tears, redness, inflammation, excess eye mucus, and even blurred vision are serious eye discomforts. The following will explain what eye drops should be used when the above symptoms appear.

1. Symptoms: Dry, tired, bloodshot eyes.

People who often use their eyes, such as students and clerks, are more prone to these symptoms. Excessive use of their eyes reduces their tear production. It can cause dryness, discomfort, fatigue and bloodshot eyes. These are relatively mild symptoms. Generally, preservative-free artificial tear eye drops such as sodium hyaluronate eye drops and polyvinyl alcohol eye drops are sufficient. These drugs can effectively relieve the above symptoms. Sodium hyaluronate eye drops are generally used at a concentration of 0.1%. However, 0.3% sodium hyaluronate eye drops should be used when the treatment is not obvious or in severe cases.

2. Symptoms: Itchy eyes.

Symptoms of itchy eyes are common in allergic diseases. For example, allergic rhinitis can easily cause itchy eyes, and even lead to allergic conjunctivitis in severe cases. When patients only have mild eye itching, anti-allergic eye drops such as olopatadine hydrochloride eye drops can be used to treat these patients. Oral allergy medications such as loratadine can be used as a temporary alternative when antiallergy eye drops are not available. If a patient has severe itchy eyes, this is allergic conjunctivitis. Antiallergic eye drops can usually treat this symptom. If the therapeutic effect of these anti-allergic eye drops is not satisfactory, after measuring the intraocular pressure of the patient, hormone eye drops (such as fluorometholone) can be used in combination for auxiliary treatment. Benzalkonium chloride is a preservative commonly used in ophthalmic products. There are clinical reports that benzalkonium chloride can cause toxic ulcerative keratopathy and punctate keratopathy. Therefore, patients with dry eye who require long-term or frequent use of these eye drops or who have corneal damage should be closely monitored while using these eye drops.

3. Symptoms: Watery eyes, red, swollen, inflamed eyes, excessive eye mucus.

These symptoms are usually due to conjunctivitis. If the patient's eye mucus increases, this symptom generally belongs to bacterial conjunctivitis. For people with bacterial conjunctivitis, antibiotic eye drops can be used to treat them. Among the most commonly used are levofloxacin eye drops and tobramycin eye drops. In order to avoid bacterial resistance, the time of medication should be controlled within the minimum time required to treat the disease. In women of potential pregnancy or pregnant women, these drugs are prescribed only if the therapeutic benefits outweigh the possible risks. In addition, for patients with concurrent viral infections, antiviral eye drops need to be used in combination. Clinically common antiviral eye drops include acyclovir and ganciclovir.

4. Symptom: Blurred vision.

Older adults experience blurred vision. The eyes seem to be blocked by something and cannot see clearly. At this time, patients should seek medical treatment as soon as possible to check whether they have cataracts.

What is the correct usage of eye drops?

The correct usage of eye drops:

1. Wash hands before using eye drops. Check to see if it is the eye drops you want to use. After opening the eye drops, the bottle cap should be placed flat without allowing the cap mouth to directly touch the table.
2. The opening of the eye drops should not touch the patient's eyelids or eyelashes. It will contaminate the eye drops and make the eye drops lose their efficacy.
3. Patients should gently close their eyes for about 3 minutes after using the eye drops.
4. If a patient needs to use several ophthalmic drugs in different dosage forms at the same time, the patient should use the thinner drug and then the thicker drug. For example, patients should use eye drops first, then eye gel, and then eye ointment. This practice ensures adequate absorption of various medications.

Precautions for eye drops.

The preservatives in the eye drops have certain toxicity to the patient's cornea and conjunctiva and cause different adverse reactions. Therefore, patients should not overuse eye drops to relieve eye fatigue. Patients should rest with eyes closed or look into the distance instead of using eye drops. Patients should not use eye drops more than 6 times per day for no more than 7 consecutive days unless directed by a physician. In addition, it is not recommended to continue using the eye drops 1 month after opening.