If you suffer from red, irritated dry eyes and are trying to figure out what is causing the pain, redness and irritation, take a look inside your medicine cabinet. Prescription drugs are one of the primary causes of dry eye disease. That’s according to Dr. Jenna Zigler, an optometrist and co-founder of Eye Love, an organization whose mission is to heal 1,000,000 dry eye sufferers naturally, who recently posted an article about the five worst drugs which cause dry eye disease
Prescription Drugs & Dry Eyes
Prescription drugs have become a common cause of dry eye disease, which affects nearly 30 million Americans. Zeigler says the more medications we take, the more likely we are to develop dry eyes caused by dehydration. Our eyes need a healthy amount of both water (tears) and oil properly to lubricate the eyes, which is why dry eyes can be caused by either the lacrimal gland, which regulates water (tears) or oil-producing meibomian glands. Antihistamines and decongestants are among the most common culprits. These medications block histamine receptors and decrease mucous by dehydrating the body. Antipsychotics and antidepressants may also be responsible for causing dryness in the eyes. These medications work by re-routing messages between the brain, cornea and the optic nerve, and it's possible that our brains may not recognize that our eyes need lubrication to induce tear production.According to Ziegler, side effects of antidepressants and antipsychotics that affect the eyes include blurred vision, eye pain, eyelid inflammation, and even double vision. High blood pressure medications and diuretics and are notably some of the most dehydrating medicines prescribed to patients. The whole purpose is to extract water from the bloodstream to decrease blood volume and release pressure on the heart and arteries. Urinary incontinence and COPD drugs can also cause cause inflammation in the eyes, ask your doctor if they are “anticholinergic” Zeigler says. People with serious medical illnesses had no option other than to tolerate the painful side effects. But there is a solution: Hydrus. Hydrus is a scientific breakthrough in hydration formulated to help people suffering from dehydration and symptoms such as dry eyes, dry mouth, dry nose, dry skin, joint pain, and fatigue.