If you wear contact lenses, you know how important it is to have the right type of eye drops. It’s highly recommended that you check with your optician before you use any eye drop with your contact lenses because not all of them are safe to use when you have contacts on.
But what are the best eye drops for you if you’re a contact lens wearer? Is the one you’re using now safe? Read on as Vision & Eyes answers these questions for you:
Different Types of Eye Drops
Eye drops can generally be divided into two: prescription and over-the-counter.
Prescription Eye Drops
As you know, prescription eye drops are only given to you by your doctor in the clinic, and you won’t be able to buy them at pharmacies without a written prescription. For most types of prescription eye drops, you need to remove your contact lenses before application. Then you should wait for at least 15 minutes to half an hour before putting your lenses back on. You may also consult your optician or pharmacist about this to be sure.
If you are treating an eye injury or an allergy, it’s best to stop using your contact lenses until you are done using medicated eye drops.
As for the over-the-counter eye drops, there are three types that you can buy anytime:
Contact Lens Eye Drops
Contact lens eye drops or rewetting eye drops, as they are also called, are made precisely to lubricate and hydrate the eyes while wearing the lenses. These can be used with soft contact lenses whenever you need to rehydrate them. Eye care professionals recommend the frequent application of these drops if you need to improve comfort as well as clear out debris that may be caught underneath the lens.
Eye Drops for Redness
Drops for red eyes are also called vasoconstrictors as they shrink the blood vessels in the conjunctiva to minimize the redness. These eye drops would never be used when you are wearing contact lenses. It is because they leave minuscule deposits on the lenses that could accumulate and cause rebound redness. This happens when the eye drops stop being effective and dilate the blood vessels, giving that bloodshot appearance.
Eye Drops for Dry Eye
If you need to use eye drops for your dry eyes and you regularly wear contact lenses, it’s best to ask your pharmacies for ones suitable for contact lenses. This way, you can avoid irritation or damage to your eyes. There are some eye drops that are pretty thick in consistency which could easily cloud up lenses. These types of eye drop formulation should be avoided. Even if eye drops for dry eyes are perfect for lubrication, you should still be careful as not all are suitable for use with contact lenses.
Conclusion
Rewetting eye drops are your best option for soft contact lenses. That said, you should make sure not to touch the tip of the dropper with your eye or your finger to avoid contamination. This type of eye drop may also be used with rigid gas-permeable lenses and are hydrating so you can wear your lenses longer.
So what are the best eye drops for contacts? Because of the different types available, it can be confusing. But there are two things you can do to ensure your safety – check the label for “safe for use with contact lenses” note and ask your pharmacist or optician about it.
If you are in need of the best eye drops or contact lens solutions, Vision & Eyes has a selection of safe and effective products that you can choose from. As experts in eye care for over 35 years, you can be sure that you are only getting high-quality eye products that work. Check out our eye care products!