Quick relief for tired and irritated eyes

The human eye is not only a very precise, but also extremely delicate. When saying that something is "the apple of our eye" we emphasize the importance of and care due to this "something". Despite the evolutionary mechanisms that protect eyesight, the lifestyles of many of us make our eyes exposed to strong or long-lasting adverse factors. Staring at a computer screen for many hours, bright sun or strong artificial light, as well as wearing contact lenses are the everyday lives of many of us. When exposing our eyes to the dry air of air-conditioned office rooms, dust, dust mites and various allergens, or chlorine present in the swimming pools, we often suffer the consequences in the form of unpleasant symptoms, which can be additionally aggravated by sleep deprivation. Approximately within one year, each of us struggles at least once with the problem of tired and irritated eyes, which requires the administration of a drug in the form of eye drops.

Eye irritation is usually manifested by redness, itching, a feeling of sand under the eyelids, burning sensation and even severe pain. These symptoms may be accompanied by a feeling of dryness or heavy lacrimation. Regardless of the cause of the aforementioned condition, we usually reach for solutions that alleviate the unpleasant ailments and bring fast relief.

Eye drops are a form of medicine that has to meet many quality criteria. Eye drugs must be characterized by very high, strictly defined and verified purity, both physical and microbiological one, lack of agents that may cause irritation and restrictions on the preservatives used. When looking for effective eye drops among over-the-counter medicines, it's worth paying attention to preparations based on natural sources.

The most important and most often recommended vegetable medicinal raw materials for eye complaints are eyebright herb and chamomile. These two species can be found in both old herbal prescriptions and on modern drug lists. This proves their high efficiency and safety of use. Meadow eyebright is recommended for irritation, redness and dryness of the eyeball, as well as for conjunctivitis, keratitis and inflammation of the lacrimal gland. In addition, some components of eyebright extract exhibit antibacterial properties. Chamomile is a commonly used raw material with documented anti-inflammatory effect. Chamomile extract soothes irritations, removes redness and swelling and reduces burning sensation.

Before buying a specific preparation, it is worth finding out how long we can store the drops after the first opening. The best eye drops have an optimal balance between the best before date and the amount of preservatives used. Persons using contact lenses should pay particular attention to the fact of whether the given drops can be used when wearing lenses of a given type. The application of improper drops may give rise to unpleasant irritation caused by the contact lenses.

For all eye drops, their correct application is very important. Before each application wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, then dry them with a clean towel. After tilting the head back, direct your eyes upwards and slightly tilt down the lower eyelid with your finger, then without touching the eye with the end of the bottle, release the recommended amount of drops into the conjunctival sac, preferably into a place closer to the temple. After application of the eye drops, close your eyes for several seconds, while lightly pressing the edge of the neighboring corner of the eye with your fingertip. After use, the bottle should be tightly closed and put in a cardboard box. We suggest writing the date of opening and expiry date on the box.

If the eye discomfort persists despite the application of over-the-counter drops, it is necessary to consult an ophthalmologist, as these symptoms may sometimes signal an infection. Eye infections require specialist treatment using drops prescribed by a medical doctor.