Visine

Picture this: You're eyes are a little irritated, possibly even a little red. You're not sure why this is happening, but you figure an eye drop could help. You walk into the eye drops section in the pharmacy and you're bombarded by about 131,239 different types of eye drops that tell you they do all sorts of wonderful things. So you pick the one with the name you've heard and claims to do what you want... Visine.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But you give it a try nonetheless.

So, is Visine bad for your eyes and why?

1) The active ingredient in the original Visine is Tetrahydrozaline Hydrochloride. It works by constricting blood vessels. Over time, the blood vessels will stop responding to it and even have a rebound effect, where they get more dilated and red than before.

2) The preservative used in all Visine drops is Benzalkonium Cholride (aka BAK). It has been shown to be one of the most likely to cause ocular toxicity and irritation. Most pharmaceutical companies don't BAK in their medicated eye drops for this reason.

If you insist on using Visine for dry eyes, consider using the preservative-free formula.

FAQ:
Q: Can I use Visine to get rid of Pink Eye?

A: No. Pink eye is a viral infection of the eye and should be looked at by your doctor. He or she can then determine which drops (if any) are needed. Learn more about Pink Eye Here.

Q: What other drops should I use?

A: There are many options for dry eyes, allergies, contact lenses, and infections. Its best to ask your friendly neighborhood eye doctor what is best for your eyes.

Q: Is it true that a few drops of Visine in someone's drink can give them an upset stomach (like in Wedding Crashers)?

A: A few drops probably wouldn't do much. However, a lot would likely make a person very sick. Aside from vomit and/or diarrhea, it could affect a person's vision, heart rate, and body temperature. So, I would not recommend trying it :)

Stye In My Eye

What is a Stye?
A stye is basically a blocked gland in the eyelid which becomes infected. Kind of like getting a pimple on the eyelid. Bacteria, skin cells, and oil can cause the blockage.

The medical term for a stye is Hordeolum. They tend to be painful and they can be either internal or external.

How are styes treated?
Simple therapy involves applying heat the affected area to express the gland and release the blocked material.
In more difficult cases, doctors may prescribe ointment and/or oral meds.
And in the some cases, minor surgery may be require to remove the stye.

How do you prevent styes?
Lid hygeine. Simple things such as warm compresses and gentle lid scrubs can help keep the eyelids clean and healthy.

To do this you simply warm up a cloth or towel with warm water and apply the heat to closed eyelids for 5 minutes. At the end of the 5 minutes use the warm towel to gently massage your eyelids and then lightly scrub at the eyelid margin to wipe away any debris.

Doing this on a daily basis will help prevent blockage and inflammation of the eyelid glands.

For patient who have Blepharitis (eyelid inflammation), it is important to do these warm compresses twice daily. Click here for more info on Blepharitis.
 
Thanks for reading. Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone who may find it useful.

Why Rubbing Your Eyes is Bad for You

Everyone knows you're not supposed to. But why?

• Short-term:
• Rubbing your eyes when they're itchy or irritated can cause break down of the cells within the eyelids and on the surface of the eye ball. This releases more histamines which make the itchiness worse.
• Also, rubbing can cause breakage of small blood vessels in the eyelids which can result in dark circles forming around your eyes

• Long-term:
• consistent long-term rubbing of the eyes, especially in kids, can potentially lead to a condition called keratoconus
• Keratoconus is a condition where the front surface of the eye (the cornea) becomes thinner and thus loses its shape. This results in blurry vision for the patient, which cannot always be fully corrected with glasses or contact lenses.

Why Do My Eyes Itch?

Allergies

- most obvious answer, but not necessarily most common
- signs: swollen/puffy eyelids, watery eyes, bumps under eyelids (seen by your doctor), diffuse and more intense itch

Blepharitis (blepharo- = eyelids, -itis= inflammation)

- so, inflammation/irritation of eyelids, very common
- could be due to mild bacterial infection or blockage of glands at the base of eyelashes
- signs: redness along eyelid margin, itchiness usually concentrated at eyelid margin or at the corners of your eyes but not as intense as with allergies, also watery eyes

As always, your questions are welcomed and encouraged.