Please Note: We no longer participate with Davis Vision, Superior Vision, and Eyemed Medicaid Insurance plans.

alarm-ringing ambulance angle2 archive arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up at-sign baby baby2 bag binoculars book-open book2 bookmark2 bubble calendar-check calendar-empty camera2 cart chart-growth check chevron-down chevron-left chevron-right chevron-up circle-minus circle city clapboard-play clipboard-empty clipboard-text clock clock2 cloud-download cloud-windy cloud clubs cog cross crown cube youtube diamond4 diamonds drop-crossed drop2 earth ellipsis envelope-open envelope exclamation eye-dropper eye facebook file-empty fire flag2 flare foursquare gift glasses google graph hammer-wrench heart-pulse heart home instagram joystick lamp layers lifebuoy link linkedin list lock magic-wand map-marker map medal-empty menu microscope minus moon mustache-glasses paper-plane paperclip papers pen pencil pie-chart pinterest plus-circle plus power printer pushpin question rain reading receipt recycle reminder sad shield-check smartphone smile soccer spades speed-medium spotlights star-empty star-half star store sun-glasses sun tag telephone thumbs-down thumbs-up tree tumblr twitter tiktok wechat user users wheelchair write yelp youtube

Your Medications May Be Causing Dry Eye​

If you have dry eyes and can’t figure out why, the answer may be in your cupboard. Dry eye is often a side effect of certain medications.

People are surprised to learn that even non-prescription medications could be contributing to their uncomfortable eyes.

Common Medication Examples

  1. Antibiotics taken orally have been known to cause dry eyes. Penicillins can cause redness, itchiness, and blurred vision.
  2. Pain relievers like ibuprofen can cause dryness, blurriness, and even color vision changes. If your eyes are aggravated by this, take lower doses and be sure to drink plenty of water.
  3. Decongestants made to ease allergy symptoms can also, ironically, cause stinging of the eye and create a gritty sensation.
  4. Birth control pills can make eyes dry because of hormone fluctuations. Certain kinds may also cause light sensitivity.
  5. Antidepressants target nerves in the brain, which can result in disruption of your normal eye function. Symptoms could include double vision and eye sensitivity.
  6. Some artificial tears, surprisingly, have been known to further irritate eyes. Be sure your artificial tears are preservative-free and do not contain BAK. Better yet, use the brands we recommend.

The Effects Of Dry Eye

Dry eye creates discomfort, can impede vision and cause red eyes and itchiness. If you commonly rub your eyes when they’re dry and itchy, it can also cause corneal scratching. Dry eyes are missing the natural protection provided by tears.

[iframe http://www.youtube.com/embed/wIN2wHj49dU?rel=0 620 349]

Talk To Us About Your Medications

You usually can’t toss aside a medication simply because it make your eyes uncomfortable. We understand. Talk with us about it. Perhaps we can help you find a solution that will keep you healthy and keep your eyes comfortable. Be sure to come and see us if you experience any sudden and unusual eye issues while taking particular medications.

Your eye health is important to us! Let us know if you ever have any questions.

Top image by Flickr user Pat David used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.