Artificial tears vs. eye drops

[dgreen97]

Just wondering what the difference between artificial tears and eye drops are. Many people call them by the same name but I want to make sure I'm using artificial tears. Currently I'm using Systane lubricant drops... I would use preservative free but whenever I open up a vial I never use enough to warrant it and end up throwing more than half away so it doesn't get infected. What are some brands and options for artificial tears that are safe to use on a regular basis?

Thanks

Alex

[kitty]

I think its a matter of semantics. To me, "eye drops" mean many things, including Systane, TheraTears; something liquid that you "drop" into your eye. Then there are products like Visine, Murine etc. eye drops that are not recommended for people with DES. I often refer to my artificial tears (TheraTears) as an "eye drop", just as I do my Carnisine eye drops (supposed to dissolve early cataracts).

[stella]

A better name would be occular lubricants
That covers everything from thin aqueous drops to the thick viscous drops to ointments
As a general rule the thicker the drop the longer lasting it is but the more it clouds your vision-- temperarily
Thicker ones +ointments are usually used at night only
You just have to experiment with the different brands
If you have really bad dry eye and the the cornea is exposed ,almost every drop you use will irritate
If your tear film is intact you can probably try various ones
Long term try to avoid BAK as a preservative
Single unit unpreserved are best

You can recap a single unit and re-use within 24 hrs.If i have opened one, i put it into a tiny plastic bag( you can get those at most stationers ) 2 inch by 2 They seal and keep the unit as sterile as possible

[dgreen97]

well my girlfriend said i sleep with my eyes slightly open at night. i believe this is called noctural lagtolamos or something like that. the only thing that has helped long enough is putting in systane preservative free ointment at night. if i put that in, i don't really get goop in my eyes in the morning because i put in a very small amount. it definitely decreases the amount of time i have to put drops in my eyes during the day however because regular artificial tears just don't last long enough. i believe i have evaporative dry eye. i use the computer all day at work but i do blink all the time so i'm not sure why my eyes don't stay lubricated. any ideas?

[Ineedatrashcan]

well my girlfriend said i sleep with my eyes slightly open at night. i believe this is called noctural lagtolamos or something like that. the only thing that has helped long enough is putting in systane preservative free ointment at night. if i put that in, i don't really get goop in my eyes in the morning because i put in a very small amount. it definitely decreases the amount of time i have to put drops in my eyes during the day however because regular artificial tears just don't last long enough. i believe i have evaporative dry eye. i use the computer all day at work but i do blink all the time so i'm not sure why my eyes don't stay lubricated. any ideas?

Wish I knew, because I am in the same boat as you.

[Rebecca Petris]

The FDA labeling standard for most artificial tear type products is "lubricant eye drop", and for one or two, "emollient eye drops".