Dry Eye, by Randy Wolfe, OD

Changing seasons from spring to summer or fall to winter can bring new challenges and obstacles. Some of these obstacles can be adapting to changing weather. In dry weather, most people are very good at using lotion for dry, scaly skin and lip balm for chapped lips. Unfortunately, many individuals fail to protect their eyes and nourish them. Artificial Tear eye drops provide our eyes with needed hydration just as a lotion does for our skin. The common symptoms of dry eyes are burning, redness, blurry vision, light sensitivity, tearing, and eye pain. Everyone will experience dry eye symptoms at some point, just as everyone will occasionally have chapped lips. I commonly get asked what type of eye drops should be used, and which brand is best. The simple answer is anything that is a lubricating eye drop will work. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter if it is a name brand or the pharmacy generic, as long as you use them. However, I recommend using preservative-free drops if you use the drops more than four times a day or if you are an individual that is sensitive to preservatives.