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Eye drops are used to treat all types of eye problems such as eye discomfort, dryness, allergy or more serious problems such as conjunctivitis and inflammation, for example. Eye drops are liquid dosage forms, which must be applied to the eye, in drops, and the number of drops to be used should be indicated by the doctor.
The type of eye drops to be used depends on the problem you want to treat and should only be used under the doctor's recommendation, because although it is a topical liquid, it is a medicine and, even if it relieves discomfort, it may not be treating the disease and can only mask the symptoms.
The main types of eye drops that exist include:
1. Lubricating eye drops
Lubricating eye drops are used to treat dry eye syndrome, burning and irritation caused by dust, smoke, pollutants, chemicals, ultraviolet rays, dry or excessive heat, air conditioning, wind, computer or cosmetics. They can also be used by people who wear contact lenses and feel a lot of dry eyes.
Some examples of eye drops indicated to lubricate the eyes are Systane, Lacril, Trisorb, Dunason or Lacrifilm, which can be purchased at pharmacies, without the need for a prescription.
2. Antibiotic eye drops
Antibiotic eye drops are used to treat eye infections caused by bacteria, called bacterial conjunctivitis. Generally, most antibiotic eye drops are associated with anti-inflammatories that help reduce inflammation, watering and discomfort caused by the infection.
Some examples of antibiotic eye drops are Maxitrol, Zymar, Vigadexa or Cilodex.
3. Anti-inflammatory eye drops
Anti-inflammatory eye drops are especially indicated in cases of recovery from eye surgery or in the treatment of diseases such as viral, chronic conjunctivitis or keratitis, an inflammation that arises in the cornea.
Some examples of eye drops with anti-inflammatory action, indicated for the prevention and treatment of pain and inflammation are Acular LS, Maxilerg, Nevanac or Voltaren DU, for example.
4. Antiallergic eye drops
Antiallergic eye drops are indicated to relieve the signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis such as redness, itching, irritation, watering and swelling. Some examples of antiallergic eye drops are Relestat, Zaditen, Lastacaft or Florate.
Know the causes and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis.
5. Anesthetic eye drops
Anesthetic eye drops relieve eye pain and sensitivity, which allows ophthalmic medical procedures to be performed. However, this type of eye drops can be dangerous, as they remove the pain and sensitivity, which can cause the person to get hurt, as scratching the eye can cause damage to the cornea due to lack of sensitivity.
Anesthetics such as Anestalcon and Oxinest are some of the eye drops that can be used by the doctor, in the hospital or in the office, for diagnostic tests, such as measuring eye pressure, scraping the eye or removing foreign bodies, for example.
6. Decongestant eye drops
This type of eye drops, also known as vasoconstrictors, decongest and lubricate the eyes, being especially indicated for the relief of mild irritations and redness caused by colds, rhinitis, foreign bodies, dust, smoke, rigid contact lenses, sun or pool water. and the sea, for example.
Examples of eye drops with vasoconstrictor action are Freshclear, Colírio Moura, Lerin or Colírio Teuto, for example.
7. Glaucoma eye drops
Glaucoma eye drops are designed to reduce blood pressure in the eyes, and should be used daily to control the disease and prevent blindness. Some examples of eye drops used to treat glaucoma are Alphagen, Combigan, Timoptol, Lumigan, Xalatan, Trusopt, Cosopt, among others.
Learn more about eye drops used to treat glaucoma and what are the most common side effects.
How to use eye drops correctly
When using any type of eye drops, there are some precautions to take, such as:
- Avoid touching the tip of the bottle to your eyes, fingers or any other surface;
- Close the eyedrop bottle immediately after the application is finished;
- Always use the number of drops indicated by the doctor, to avoid overdosing;
- Wait at least 5 minutes between applications, if it is necessary to use more than one eye drop;
- Remove contact lenses before applying eye drops and wait 15 minutes after application before putting them back on.
These precautions are very important because they guarantee the correct use of the eye drops, avoiding contamination of the bottle and the medicine.
During the application, the ideal is to lie down and drip the drops in the lower part of the eye, more specifically in the red bag that is formed when pulling the lower eyelid down. Then, close the eye and press the corner next to the nose, to help the local absorption of the medicine.