Have you ever felt like being in a candy shop when it comes to choosing an eye drop in the pharmacy? Either you are spoiled by choice or downright overwhelmed. 

 

What matters is to understand the key ingredients in eye drops and their effects. Here’s a list of commonly found ingredients in eye drops we summed up for you, both the good and the not so good of course!

 

✅ Good ingredients:

 

1) Hyaluronic Acid (Sodium Hyaluronate) has high ability to bind and retain water molecules as it already presents in natural tears. Thus it keeps the eyes moist and reduces tear evaporation.

 

2) Sodium Chloride helps keep water balance in the cornea to prevent excess water from causing poor vision, halos or rings around point light sources.

 

❌ Not so good ingredients:

 

1) Preservatives (BAK: Benzalkonium Chloride) are toxic to the cornea and conjunctiva, cause eye irritation, tear film instability and dry eye.

 

2) Steroids (Dexamethasone, Fuorometholone, Prednisolone), induce glaucoma and cataract.

 

3) Antibiotic (Chloramphenicol, Erythromycin, Tetracyclines etc). Overuse of antibiotics can cause bacterial resistance in the eye, and eventually more prone to eye infections.

 

If you find the list above is rather exhaustive, why not let our optometrists help you? Professionally speaking, one should go through a comprehensive eye examination to understand their eye condition before choosing the right eye drop. That said, eye drops can be a necessary or just good to have, it all depends on your eye condition.

Book an appointment today and our optometrists will consult you in getting the right eye drop.

Disclaimer: Steroids and antibiotic eye drops are normally clinically prescribed and should not be used without professional advice.