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Are All OTC Eye Drops Equal?

We’ve all been there. Your eyes are bothering you in one way or another, and you head to the drugstore to find eye drops that might give you relief. But once you get to the eye care shelves, you might be completely overwhelmed. With so many options, what’s the best method for how to choose eye drops? Should you just pick the cheapest one that claims to help your particular eye condition and check out? Not so fast. The truth is that all eye drops are not of the same quality. Here’s what we recommend.

Best Drops For Dry Eyes

There are few things more irritating than perpetual dryness in your eyes. Whether this is a result of the weather, a recent LASIK procedure, certain medications or something else, the best way to get relief is to lubricate your eyes - often. 

Our doctors prefer Refresh artificial tears and eye drops above other brands. Not only do they come in a wide variety of types (including Refresh for Contacts and Refresh Gel Drops), but they are also preservative free and highly effective. Two other brands we also like are Systane and iVIZIA. As long as you get one of these three, your dryness should disappear and your eyes will get the quality care they deserve.

Best Drops For Allergies 

So, what about when you’re battling red, itchy eyes? The culprit is often allergies, which can strike at a variety of times year-round as well as when someone encounters indoor triggers like dust or pet dander. If you’re experiencing such an uncomfortable eye condition, our doctors suggest trying Pataday. 

This family of eye drops was formerly only sold as a prescription, but has been available over the counter for a while now. It’s prescription-strength, which is much stronger than most OTC allergy drops, and can provide relief in minutes. 

When it comes to how to choose the best eye drops, we recommend looking for the brands detailed here. They’re your best bet to get quality relief at your local drugstore. 

OTC drops not doing the trick? Contact us today to get to the bottom of more severe eye troubles.