Eye drops for conjunctivitis, lubricant, antiallergic and anti-inflammatory

Eye drops are used to treat all types of eye problems such as eye discomfort, dryness, allergy or more serious problems such as conjunctivitis and inflammation, for example. Eye drops are liquid dosage forms, which must be applied to the eye, in drops, and the number of drops to be used must be indicated by the doctor.

The type of eye drops to be used depends on the problem to be treated and should only be used under the doctor's recommendation, because although it is a topical liquid, it is a medication and even if it relieves the symptoms, it may not be treating the disease, and may just mask symptoms.

The main types of eye drops that exist include:

1. Lubricating eye drops

Lubricating eye drops are used to treat dry eye syndrome, burning and irritation caused by dust, smoke, pollutants, chemicals, ultraviolet rays, dry or excessive heat, air conditioning, wind, computer or cosmetics. They can also be used by people who wear contact lenses and feel a lot of dry eyes.

Some examples of eye drops indicated to lubricate the eyes are Systane, Lacril, Trisorb, Dunason or Lacrifilm, which can be purchased at pharmacies without the need for a prescription.

2. Antibiotic eye drops

Antibiotic eye drops are used to treat eye infections caused by bacteria, called bacterial conjunctivitis. Generally, most antibiotic eye drops are associated with anti-inflammatory drugs that help to reduce inflammation and discomfort caused by infection.

Some examples of antibiotic eye drops are Maxitrol, Zymar, Vigadexa or Cilodex.

3. Anti-inflammatory eye drops

Anti-inflammatory eye drops are especially indicated in cases where there is recovery from eye surgery or in the treatment of diseases such as viral, chronic conjunctivitis or keratitis, an inflammation that arises in the cornea.

Some examples of eye drops with anti-inflammatory action, indicated for the prevention and treatment of pain and inflammation are Acular LS, Maxilerg, Nevanac or Voltaren DU, for example.

4. Antiallergic eye drops

Antiallergic eye drops are indicated to relieve the signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis such as redness, itching, irritation and swelling. Some examples of antiallergic eye drops are Relestat, Zaditen, Lastacaft or Florate.

Know the causes and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis.

5. Anesthetic eye drops

Anesthetic eye drops relieve eye pain and sensitivity, which allows ophthalmic medical procedures to be performed. However, this type of eye drops can be dangerous, as they remove the pain and sensitivity, which can cause the person to get hurt, as scratching the eye can cause damage to the cornea due to lack of sensitivity.

Anesthetics such as Anestalcon and Oxinest are some of the eye drops that can be used by the doctor, in a hospital or in an office, for diagnostic exams such as measuring eye pressure, scraping the eye or removing foreign bodies, for example.

6. Decongestant eye drops

This type of eye drops, also known as vasoconstrictors, decongest and lubricate the eyes, being especially indicated for the relief of mild irritations and redness caused by colds, rhinitis, foreign bodies, dust, smoke, rigid contact lenses, sun or pool water. and the sea, for example.

Examples of eye drops with vasoconstrictor action are Freshclear, Colírio Moura, Lerin or Colírio Teuto, for example.

7. Glaucoma eye drops

Glaucoma eye drops have the function of reducing blood pressure in the eyes, and should be used daily to control the disease and prevent blindness. Some examples of eye drops used to treat glaucoma are Alphagen, Combigan, Timoptol, Lumigan, Xalatan, Trusopt, Cosopt, among others.

Find out more about eye drops used to treat glaucoma and what are the most common side effects.

How to use eye drops correctly

When using any type of eye drops, there are some precautions to take, such as:

Avoid touching the tip of the bottle to your eyes, fingers or any other surface; Immediately close the eye drops bottle as soon as the application is finished; Always use the number of drops indicated by the doctor, to avoid overdosing; Wait at least 5 minutes between applications, if it is necessary to use more than one eye drop Remove the contact lenses before applying the eye drops and wait 15 minutes after application before putting them back on.

These precautions are very important because they guarantee the correct use of the eye drops, avoiding contamination of the bottle and the medicine.

During the application, the ideal is to lie down and drip the drops in the lower part of the eye, more specifically in the red bag that is formed when pulling the lower eyelid down. Then, close the eye and press the corner next to the nose, to help the local absorption of the medicine.