All you want to know about antibiotic eye drops

Eye infections such as blepharitis, conjunctivitis, or keratitis give rise to symptoms such as redness, swelling, discharge, pain, eye fatigue, and itchiness. Different types of ophthalmic solutions and drugs are used for treating infections and inflammatory conditions that affect the eyes. These include artificial tears/gels, antihistamines, mast cell stabilisers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroid, antibiotic and antiviral eye drops or ointments. Antibiotic ophthalmic solutions are basically suspension of drugs that are used for treating bacterial infections. These medicated ophthalmic solutions might even be used for preventing eye infections.

Antibiotic Drops

These are classified into broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum. While the former is effective against a wide range of bacteria, the latter is used for killing a specific group of bacteria. These eye drops are basically categorised into bacteriocidal, bacteriostatic and combination eye drops. Bacteriocidal drops contain certain active compounds that have the ability to kill bacteria. These are suspension of drugs that contain active compounds that target essential chemical pathways, inner cell membrane, and outer cell wall and interrupt the chemical processes that help these bacteria grow.

Many of these drops contain aminglycosides. These act against certain types of bacteria. These are especially effective against pseudomonas. This bacterium is generally responsible for the contamination of contact lenses. Neomycin, tobramycin, amikacin, and gentamycin are all classified as aminoglycosides.

The bacteriostatic drugs don't kill bacteria, but prevent them from multiplying. Bacteriostatic drops are usually prescribed for the treatment of conjunctivitis. Sometimes ophthalmic solutions might also contain other drugs. These are referred to as combination eye drops. These are generally used to treat emergency cases. This kind of treatment is based on the principle of antibiotic synergism. Sometimes, the combined effect of different types of drugs is more effective than using individual drugs. When the bacterial strain hasn't been identified and the bacterium seems to be capable of a great deal of harm, antibiotics and steroids are generally combined together for the treatment. These can also help in prevention of the development of resistant strains of bacteria. The ophthalmic solutions that are commonly used for treating bacterial infections include ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, ofloxacin, tobramycin, and monofloxacin.

Side effects of antibiotic eye drops

Over-the-counter availability of ophthalmic solutions is becoming a major cause of concern. It is always better to buy eye drops prescribed by an ophthalmologist, as the prolonged use of these drops can lead to the development of strains of bacteria that are resistant to these drugs. Moreover, antibiotic eye drops must not be used for infections that are caused by viruses, parasites, or exposure to allergens. Certain bacterial infections need to be treated with the help of target-specific antibiotics. Using broad-spectrum drugs might not help in treating such infections.

Sometimes, the use of these medicated ophthalmic solutions could lead to redness, itchiness, severe stinging sensation, or blurred vision. In such cases, discontinue using that particular eye drop/ointment and consult an ophthalmologist immediately.

You must use these medicated drops only under the supervision of a doctor. Don't self-medicate, as using medicated drops for a long period could lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

7 Helpful Tips to Prevent Dry Eyes

All contact lens wearers have experienced dry eyes at some point. The irritation, the burning and heavy squinting make getting through the day unbearable. One of the steps to take is to observe the situations you are in when this occurs, as a lot of the time dry eyes may be prevented when the appropriate steps are taken. Here are 7 helpful tips to avoid dry eyes.

1. Set your computer screen below your eye level: When your screen is above your eye level you tend to open your eyes more to see the screen better. When your screen is lower you relax your eyes, which helps reduce the dehydration of thetears in your eyes.
2. Be mindful of your surroundings: Whether you live in the mountains, in the desert or are catching the next flight home, the air in these and many other areas can be very dry. Try closing your eyes more often to decrease the amount of moisture loss in your eyes. You can also carry an extra bottle of solution to rewet your lenses if they are drying out.
3. Try wearing a disposable moist contact lens: Theses lenses contain more water content than traditional lenses, so they provide longer lasting comfort throughout the day, and since they are disposable they require no maintenance. Just toss out the dry lenses and pop in a fresh pair. Moist contact lenses are also available for both astigmatic and multifocal wearers.
4. Think about wearing sunglasses: Consider wearing sunglasses, even when you wouldn't normally, if you find your eyes are drying out more often than you'd like. Blocking the suns scorching rays and the winds blustery gust will go a long way to keeping your eyes moist throughout the day.
5. Avoiding smoke or smoking: Not only is smoking bad for your lungs, it is also extremely bad for your eyes. You may find that smoke causes your contact lenses to rest uncomfortably in your eyes, causing them to become red, scratchy and irritating. This is because smoke extracts moisture from the surrounding air, thus drying out your contacts and your eyes at the same time. Smoking also can cause harmful long term consequences to your eyes such as glaucoma, cataracts and even blindness.
6. Prevent air blowing directly into your eyes: Fans, air conditioners, car heaters, and hair dryers. Each of these, among many others, can dry your lenses and your eyes out in minutes making for a really unpleasant rest of your day.
7. Use eye drops regularly: If you have persistent dry eyes be sure to use rewetting drops even when you're not dried out. This will keep you ahead of the game and avoid any unnecessary discomfort later. Consider using rewetting drops prior to removing your lenses. This will ensure that the lenses are well hydrated and therefore become easier and safer to remove.

Proper eye-care maintenance is critical for healthy vision. Although the above are great suggestions as to how to avoid dry eyes please make sure to consult your eye doctor for appropriate instructions and correct eyeglass and contact lens fittings.