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How Do Medications Affect The Eye? and what are the remedies .



Medication side effects are unwanted, and sometimes unpleasant. While most of them can be mild, others as an upset stomach, or drowsiness, others can be more serious and cause more persistent effects.
In the case of dry eye when caused by medication, oftentimes it's because the prescribed or OTC treatment reduces the production of tears. When this happens, your eyes don’t have enough lubrication to function properly, resulting in a sandy or burning sensation, irritation, blurry vision and overall discomfort. 
In other cases, medications may cause an imbalance in the chemical makeup of tears, which can cause irritation that leads to dryness.
Common Medications That May Cause Dry Eye
Blood Pressure Medication
Beta-blockers, which are blood pressure medications, are designed to block your body’s response to adrenaline. This helps slow your heartbeat and reduce your blood pressure. As a result of this slowed response, your body also produces less of the protein that makes up your tears, and in turn, you can experience dry eyes.
Allergy Medication
If you have allergies to things like grass, pollen, or pet dander and use a daily antihistamine (allergy pills), you know what a relief they can be when your allergies are flaring up. But these medications are intended to block your body’s response to the triggers that cause your itching, sneezing, running nose, and watery eyes. As a result, your body may produce fewer tears, and in some cases cause dry eye. 
Birth Control Pills
It has been reported that women who take oral contraceptives as a method of birth control that contains estrogen can experience symptoms of dry eye. However, those who take birth control pills with both estrogen and progesterone are less likely to report this as a side effect.
Antidepressants
Antidepressant medications block the signal between certain nerve cells. While these can be powerful in treating certain types of depression, it can be noticeable when those cells are the ones responsible for lubricating your eyes.
Acne Medication
If you take an oral medication to treat severe acne, there is a chance it could be the cause of your dry eye. Most acne medications are designed to help reduce the amount of oils produced by your glands. However, since your eyes contain many glands, including the ones responsible for producing the oil in your tears, when the medication takes effect there’s a chance it will impact your tears. 
Pain Relievers
Though a less frequent side effect, some pain relievers that fall under the anti-inflammatory category, like ibuprofen, can cause you to experience dry eye.

Here’s a list of other prescription and OTC 

medications that may cause dry eye symptoms:Acetophenazine

Amitriptyline
Antazoline
Atropine
Azatadine
Belladonain
Beta Blockers
Brompheniramine
Carbinoxamine
Carphenazine
Chlorisondamine
Chlorpheniramine
Chlorpromazine
Clemastine
Cyproheptadine
Desipramine
Dexbrompheniramine
Dexchlorpheniramine
Diethazine
Dimethindene
Diphenhydramine
Diphenylpyraline
Doxylamine
Ether
Ethopropazine
Fluphenazine
Hashish
Hexamethonium
Homatropine
Imipramine
Isotretinoin
Marijuana
Mesoridazine
Methdilazine
Methotrimeprazine
Methscopolamine
Methyldopa
Methylthiouracil
Metoprolol
Morphine
Nitrous Oxide
Nortriptyline
Opium
Oxprenolol
Perazine
Periciazine
Perphenazine
Pheniramine
Piperacetazine
Practolol
Prochlorperazine
Promazine
Promethazine
Propiomazine
Propranolol
Protriptyline
Pyrilamine
Scopolamine
Tetrahydrocannabinol
THC
Thiethylperazine
Thioproperazine
Thioridazine
Thirpropazate
Trichloroethylene
Trifluoperazine
Triflupromazine
Trimeprazine
Tripelennamine


Triprolidi
How to Treat Dry Eye Caused By Medication?
Whether your dry eye problems are the symptom of a short-term medication or a lasting side effect of necessary daily treatment, you don’t need to suffer without a solution.
Speak with your healthcare provider about the side effects of your medication. They may consider changing your dose or switching you to a different medication with fewer side effects.Start using daily eye drops (artificial tears) to soothe the discomfort of dry eye, and provide much-needed hydration and relief. EvolveTM Eye Drops are available in two varieties depending on the severity of your dry eye symptoms:

Daily Intensive Eye Drops for mild-to-moderate symptoms
Intensive Gel Drops for moderate-to-severe symptoms
    Both EvolveTM products are expertly engeered to provide immediate, long-lasting relief for dry eye symptoms with an easy-squeeze bottle.

    Use our     Clinic Locator to find your nearest Evolve retailer.
      
    Sources: 
    (n.d.). Dry Eye. Penn Medicine. https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/dry-eyes
    Azuse, E. (2021). 7 Medications that Cause Dry Eye. Health Grades. https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/eye-health/7-medications-that-can-cause-dry-eye 

    Photo by Polina Tankilevitch: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-blister-pack-3873189/ 

    Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada

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