If you have dry eye disease, you may use over-the-counter artificial tears to relieve symptoms. Artificial tears are a great tool to lubricate the eyes, and for some people, they are enough to manage dry eye disease.
But over-the-counter artificial tears are not always enough for dry eye disease. “There [are] many different treatments available beyond artificial tears,” says Danielle Trief, MD, Ophthalmologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Danielle Trief, MD, is a board-certified ophthalmologist and associate professor at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
References
American Optometric Association. (n.d.). Dry eye.
Boyd, K. (2022). What is dry eye? Symptoms, causes, and treatment. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Golden, M. I., et al. (2023). Dry eye syndrome. StatPearls.
Mukamal, R. (2023). Facts about tears. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
National Eye Institute. (2019). Corneal conditions.
National Eye Institute. (2019). How tears work.
National Eye Institute. (2022). Dry eye.
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