The Myth of Visine/ClearEyes

Visine and ClearEyes are common eye drops that many people use to treat a variety of problems ranging from ocular redness and allergies to Dry Eye. As it turns out,Visine and ClearEyes are NOT good for the eyes. Visine and ClearEyes are both vasoconstrictors. Meaning, they make eyes look less red because they constrict the ocular blood vessels. However, after long term use of Visine/ClearEyes the eyes will essentially get “addicted” to the drops and cause the ocular blood vessels to become constantly engorged. 

There are other over-the-counter eye drops that I recommend instead of Visine/ClearEyes. The drops I recommend vary based on what the patient is trying to treat with the drops. 

For those who are using Visine/ClearEyes to relieve redness, I recommend using Lumify drops instead. 

For those who are using Visine/ClearEyes to treat ocular allergies/itching I recommend using Pataday, Alaway, or Zaditor instead. 

For those who are using Visine/ClearEyes to treat Dry Eye, please bear in mind there is a large variety of treatments for Dry Eye. The most accessible over-the-counter treatment option is artificial tears, and these are the brands of artificial tears that I recommend: Optase, Refresh, Systane, Blink, Retaine, GenTeal, and Thera Tears. With regards to Dry Eye, artificial tears are really treating the symptoms instead of the cause of the dryness. If you do have Dry Eye and would like to explore further treatment options please do not hesitate to make an appointment at our office 805-486-3585.