Saline Question

[Guest]

I want to start using saline instead of over-using artificial tears, since I think too many tears have caused some issues for me. I know some people here have used saline, and I was wondering what kind I should use? Is saline for contacts okay, as in Sensitive Eyes from Bausch and Lomb? How about .9% saline inhalation solution? Are there benefits to one over another?

I am trying to minimize my usage of drops in general, and my plan is to use artificial tears as little as possible. I feel like I have been washing away my natural tears with all the drops, and now that I am using less, I feel a bit better.

[Rebecca Petris]

So sorry that this got overlooked... moderators have to approve guest posts so that we can avoid spam, but we got busy and forgot to check for them!

As regards "washing away natural tears", saline will do that at least as much as artificial tears will. Personally I prefer saline anyway. I just don't tolerate most of the polymers and such very well.

I would avoid the drugstore contact lens salines on principle... they're all preserved. Bear in mind that "Sensitive Eyes" is code for "thimerosal free but not preservative free).

There are several preservative free salines. I have a little video comparing them in case it's helpful but that's addressing them specifically for use with scleral lenses. the 0.9% inhalation solution is the most practical because it's the smallest size vial available. You might or might not feel any difference between that and the buffered types.

[farmgirl]

I wrote a post on this subject some time ago but I primarily use non preserves saline in the nebulizer tubes that my druggist orders for me then I cap them with a systane or biontears cap to keep them sealed and use them up within a week, if not I throw it out. I use either Addipak or Mylan. Get the smaller 3 or 5 ml though. I think they are available through Amazon as well but they are cheap. I cannot even tolerate any saline that is 'buffered' like the type used to fill scleral lenses.

If I find I am pouring them in too often I will switch to a OTC drop which has more body but for the most part saline works just fine. If I do use an OTC drop I switch from one to the other so that I don't overuse any of them as I am now very sensitive to them all as a result of overuse.

[Rebecca Petris]

Suggestion on unbuffered salines: Go for the smallest size and don't keep them from one day to the next. Reason: pH of unbuffered saline - which already starts out acidic - drops further once they're opened. At least that's what I've been told by one of the very few people that's bothered to study it. Hopefully someday someone will publish actual data.

I'm sure I don't always practice what I preach (have used many-a pink vial sitting around forever) but... I try