Did you know that the active ingredient in Visine, Tetrahydrozoline can be fatal in high doses? YES. THIS. IS. TRUE.
Visine may cause red eyes and elevated eye pressure, as in glaucoma! The active ingredients in Visine cause blood vessels in the white part of the eye to physically shrink, which accomplishes the immediate goal of lessening the eye’s redness, however, as the medication eventually wears off, a phenomenon known to eye doctors as “rebound redness” may occur, which makes the initial problem that much worse! In fact, over a prolonged period of continuous Visine usage, the rebound redness may actually become the default condition of the patient’s eyes.
TRUTH: Visine can permanently imprint on your eyes the very condition that it was originally intended to improve.
Visine can have drastic consequences if ingested so it you have it in your home, keep it away from children.
If swallowed, Visine can cause:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Breathing difficulty
- Blurred vision
- Lowered body temperature
- Seizures or tremors
- Fluctuations in blood pressure
- Shutdown of the central nervous system
Dry, red irritated eyes can be from multiple causes so our doctors’ first recommendation would be to Schedule an Eye Exam eye exam so that the doctor can determine the probable cause and then an appropriate treatment. 
Sometimes, the treatment is not an eye drop; instead hot compresses, topical sprays or ointments, oral antibiotics, or a different contact lens brand may be the recommended treatment. Other times, a prescription eye drop (vs over-the-counter) or an eye drop for allergies may be what is needed.
The over-the-counter eye drop brands that our doctors routinely recommend after they have examined the eyes are SYSTANE, BLINK, AND REFRESH. However, having an eye exam allows the doctor to determine the best drop for the problem, depending on what is causing the symptoms.
Our doctors also have samples for our patients to try and money saving coupons for their preferred brands. Letting the doctor determine which drop is the best is optimal for vision health. Needless to say, self-diagnosing a vision problem is NEVER a good idea!
However, if a patient feels that a redness reliever is necessary before they can come in for an eye exam, our doctors recommend LUMIFY, as the safest one, but still used sparingly! 
For more information click on the All About Vision link.
Staying hydrated by drinking more water, cleaning up diet, and using a hypochlorous acid eyelid cleanser (We like We Love Eyes products) regularly are also recommended when. a patient has dry, red, irritated eyes.
Until you can see your eye doctor about your red eye problem, remove your contact lenses (if you wear them) and wear your glasses instead, and bring your contacts with you to your appointment so your doctor can evaluate whether your contact lenses are causing your red eyes. 
