Are there any long term side effects of using eye drops for dry eyes?
I use lubricant eye drops daily for dry eyes. This has been on-going since 3 months ago, when I had my LASIK operation. I was wondering if there are any long term adverse effects of using lubricant eye drops for dry eyes? Or can I continue to use eye drops indefinitely?
Dear Elaine,
Congrats on your LASIK surgery!
Dry eye symptoms are quite common after LASIK surgery. Having done LASIK myself I find that these symptoms tend to get better with time.
Lubricants can broadly be divided into two types -- the ones that come in a bottle (that contain preservatives), and the ones that come in little disposable tubes (that do not contain preservatives).
Generally speaking I would not encourage the use of the bottled form of lubricants for more than 4 times a day; if your symptoms require more than 4 applications of lubricants a day I would recommend using the preservative-free disposable forms instead. If you stick to this rule of thumb the drops can be used long term without much side effects.
I hope your eyes are feeling less dry, and that you are enjoying your new-found spectacle independence!
Regards,
DQ