How to Buy Eye Drops

Eye drops are a useful medium for delivering a variety of drugs, from "tears" to steroids. To achieve optimum results with eye drops, have a doctor diagnose your ocular condition and then buy a product specially suited for the situation you need to treat.

Instructions

• 1

  Purchase an antihistamine, like azelastine or emedastine, to relieve redness and itchiness in the eye caused by allergies. These drugs prevent blood vessels in the eye from swelling and are less drying than their oral counterparts. Antihistamines are available over-the-counter and by prescription.

• 2

  Buy a decongestant eye drop to ease watery eyes. Decongestant drops, like naphazoline hydrochloride or tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride, help decrease fluid production and facilitate draining by shrinking blood vessels in the eye. Avoid using this type of drop for more than a few days, or symptoms may worsen.

• 3

  Get a prescription to buy non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) type eye drops, like ketorolac and nepafenac. These drops decrease pain and inflammation by hampering the body's production of prostaglandins during an allergic reaction.

• 4

  Obtain corticosteroids, like prednisone or loteprednol etabonate, to reduce redness and irritation during an allergic reaction. These drops are available by prescription only and work by imitating cortisol, a naturally occurring hormone produced to help the body cope with stress.

• 5

  See a doctor to diagnose a bacterial or viral infection of the eye and prescribe special drops. Antibiotic eye drops, like tobramycin, heal bacterial infections. Take antibiotics as directed for the full course recommended, even if symptoms improve, to avoid a recurring infection. If your infection is viral, such as a herpes eye infection, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral eye drop, like adenine arabinoside.

• 6

  Select artificial tears to lubricate and cleanse dry, itchy eyes. These drops are widely available over-the-counter in a variety of brands.