What makes visine work

If you put the drop in with your contact in, the contact will hold onto the drug and keep it on your eye surface longer thus potentiating the vasoconstriction. Your cornea has no blood vessels in it and it depends on the blood vessels in the conjunctiva, over the whites of the eye, to bring in nutrients and oxygen.

The other source of oxygen for the cornea is what it gets from diffusion from the atmosphere and that is also cut down by the presence of the contact lens. Decreased oxygen to the cornea is one of the biggest risks for contact lens related infections including corneal ulcers.

If you are using redness relief drops repetitively you are likely making your eye redness even worse, not better. It is recommended that you see your Eye Associates Ophthalmologist or Optometrist right away that way the route of the problem can be addressed. But what will happen to the eyes of those using these drops once they stop? Eye Associates warns that after you make the switch, your eyes are initially going to be red as your blood vessels take time to regain their normal vascular tone without the vasoconstrictor clamping down on them.

The lubricating drop will actually help repair the damage done by exposure to adverse conditions. This will decrease the inflammatory signals that make the vessels dilate.

Follow the link.. Eye Health Blog. Halloween Without Eye Injury! Eye And Healthy Aging Month. Fireworks Safety! Contact Lenses For People Over Myopia Awareness Week. My child can't see the board in school. April - Focus on Women's Eye Health. Did you know that women are more likely to suffer from vision problems and are at higher risk of permanent vision loss than men?

According to a recent study, the statistics for many of the major vision problems show that women have a higher percentage of incidence than men. Hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause can also contribute to dry eye. Here are some ways that you can help to protect your eyes and save your eyesight: Find out about family history of eye diseases and conditions. Consume a healthy diet with proper nutrition and special eye health supplements as prescribed by an eye doctor.

Adhere to contact lens hygiene and safety. Adhere to cosmetic hygiene and safety precautions. Protect your eyes against extended exposure to blue light from computers, smartphones and LED lamps. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant and have diabetes, see an eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam. In women who have diabetes, diabetic retinopathy can accelerate quickly during pregnancy and can present a risk for the baby as well.

In our practice, we have observed that mothers are often charged with caring for the eye health of the entire family, letting their own eye health needs fall to the wayside. It is critical that women take care of their eyes and overall health so that they can be in the best condition to care for their families. Speak to us about your personal eye health and vision risks and the precautions and measures you should take to protect your eyes.

Encourage the other women in your life to do so as well. The most important way to prevent vision loss is to ensure you schedule regular eye exams. You can always reach us by phone and we'll be happy to answer any questions! Macular Degeneration Awareness. AMD is the top cause of critical vision loss and legal blindness in adults over age 65 in the United States. By , it is estimated that more than 6 million Americans will develop the disease.

When someone experiences AMD, they lose the ability to see the finer details of the world in front of them. Road signs become more difficult to read while driving. The smaller the blood vessels, the less red your eyes will appear. Look on the ingredients list and you will often recognize these drugs as terahydrozoline or naphazoline. You may look and feel on top of the world for a little while after using these drops, but frequent use is unsafe and can lead to more serious problems.

Constantly shrinking these vessels means your eyes do not get all the oxygen or nutrients it needs, thus compromising your eye health. Vasoconstrictors temporarily reduce the size of the blood vessels in your eye.

After the drug wears off, your blood vessels will revert back to their original size. However, after prolonged use those blood vessels can permanently enlarge, causing your red eye to look even worse.

This is called rebound hyperemia, or rebound effect. Your eyes can become addicted to these drops. It is a vicious cycle of using your drops, worsening your red eye symptoms, and repeat. Red eye relief drops are not treating the cause of your eye redness, only temporarily managing the symptoms. The key to eliminating redness is to find out the real problem. This could be a number of things:. An eye exam with Dr. Ashcraft is necessary to identify the source of the problem and appropriate treatment.

Treatment options and recovery times will depend on the severity of your symptoms and how long you used the drops. For mild cases, artificial tears and prescription drops can aid in recovery time. For more severe circumstances, ocular steroids and other medical therapies may be an option.