Do you want a clearer, less irritated, and above all less red look? Perhaps you have already directed to whitening eye drops found in pharmacy or parapharmacy. A bad habit according to experts. Here is why.
A red eye is an alert signal
Far from being a simple aesthetic inconvenience, ocular redness is a symptom of inflammation, often linked to an underlying problem: conjunctivitis, drought, allergy, breedy, even abrasion or more serious infection. In short, under this somewhat red eye is a cause. “A red eye must be considered as a” alarm “signalinsists the ophthalmologist Guy de Saint Sauveur (Doctor Vision on Instagram) in True Medical. “Most of the time, this is an eye surface problem that should not be overlooked.”
However, the whitening drops, temporarily tightening the blood vessels of the conjunctiva, mask the symptoms without treating the cause. Result: the eye seems clearer, but the inflammation persists – even worsen. “”It’s a dressing, not a solution “summarizes Dr Michelle Holmes, optometrist at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, in Santa Monica at the Huffpost media.
A rebound risk
The problem does not stop there. When you stop treatment, a well -known phenomenon of specialists can occur: the rebound effect. “The vessels are expanded again, sometimes more than before, and the eye becomes even more red”explains Guy de Saint Sauveur. This vicious circle pushes to reuse the drops over and over again, to create a real dependence.
Worse still, the repeated use of these products, which most often contain vasoconstrictors, can lead to irreversible sequelae. “Maintaining the transparency of the cornea, a real window of the eye, depends on a healthy eye surface”alerts the ophthalmologist. “If inflammation is not treated correctly, the vision itself can be compromised”.
Favor soft solutions … and consult
So what if your eyes are red, dry or irritated? First rule: Avoid hazardous self -medication. It is better to opt for artificial tears without preservatives, or simple washes with physiological serum. “These products are softer for the eyes, and can be used without risk pending an ophthalmological meeting”specifies the expert.
As Guy de Saint Sauveur points out, “In the event of a red eye, the priority remains to consult. It is better to relieve discomfort with neutral solutions, but above all, never seek to erase the symptom without understanding what causes it”. An examination makes it possible to determine the exact cause of redness and to propose a targeted treatment, whether it is anti-inflammatory eye drops, an antihistamine or an antibiotic, depending on the case.
Surveillance products
The health authorities themselves recently sounded the alarm. The FDA (the American Medicines Agency) recalled in 2023 more than 25 references of ophthalmic drops available without a prescription, after having noted serious risks of eye infection, sometimes associated with loss of vision. A strong signal on the need not to trivialize the use of these products.
So, even if you think you have red eyes this summer, do not rush on these drops. They camouflage more than it treats.