How to Choose the Right Eyedrops for Your Needs
Mar 09 2025
Suffer from dry, itchy, or sore eyes? These eye problems can be caused by varying factors, from the weather to eye strain from digital devices. Luckily, you don’t have to suffer from eye problems, eye drops can help to provide quick relief and support on the move when you need them.
Why Use Eye Drops?
Many eye discomfort issues can be comforted or even eliminated with the use of eye drops. Some common eye problems which can be helped with eye drops are -
Dry eyes.
Allergies and itching.
Redness.
Soreness.
Swelling.
How To Choose The Right Eye Drops?
If it’s your first time using eye drops to help your eye problems, choosing the right type for your needs is important. We recommend the following eye drops for these common conditions -
Eye Drops for Dryness
Artificial tears also known as lubricating eye drops can provide moisture for people suffering from dry eyes. What Are They? These drops are designed to lubricate your eyes just like real tears. They do this by stimulating natural tear composition and function. They can help to stabilize the tear film and stop tears from evaporating too quickly. We suggest using them if you’ve been on a plane, looking at a screen for too long, wearing contact lenses or anytime your eyes feel dry.
Attention: We recommend avoiding decongestant eye drops for dry eyes as they can worsen your symptoms in the long run. If you have very severe dry eyes then we recommend trying out lubricating gel or ointment. These work best when used right before sleeping. If you want to learn more about dry eyes and how to help them, check our guide here.
Eye Drops For Redness
Decongestant eye drops also known as whitening eye drops can help with eye redness. What Are They? They contain chemicals called vasoconstrictors which shrink the tiny blood vessels in the white parts of your eye. This can help to quickly clear up any irritation. People tend to use them if their eyes have become red after a long day at work, perhaps environmental triggers like smoke or even air-conditioned/hot environments.
Attention: Decongestant eye drops should not be overused since they could be hiding more serious issues with your eyes. Always check with your eye doctors if you're having consistent redness. Overusing them can also dryness and irritation so use them in moderation. It's possible that your eyes can also become tolerant to the whitening effects of the eye drops which leads to needing more drops. This is called rebound hyperemia. To protect your eyes and maintain eye health we recommend reading our guide here.
Eye Drops For Itchiness & Allergies
Antihistamine eye drops will help relieve itchiness and allergies. What Are They? Itchiness in your eyes for allergies is caused by a chemical that your eyes produce called histamines. This could be due to pollen or pet dander, it’s a natural response to allergies.
Antihistamine eye drops help reduce allergy symptoms by blocking the histamine receptors in your eyes. They will reduce symptoms such as; itchiness, redness, watering, puffiness, and swelling. Attention: Although decongestant eye drops can also be used for allergies since they contain antihistamines, they can’t be used long-term.
If you are still having severe itching after using antihistamine eye drops then we recommend seeing your eye doctor. For more allergies about eye irritation and allergies, we recommend checking out our eye health guide here.
Eye Drops For Soreness & Swelling
Lubricating eye drops can help with soreness and swelling just like dry eyes. Sore eyes can result from overuse, fatigue, strain or dryness. Using lubricating eye drops can help with visual stress (after crying), swelling because of allergies or inflammation and eye discharge due to allergies. Seek medical advice if you have yellow or greenish discharge since this could indicate you may have an eye infection and need treatment from the doctor.
