Most dry eye patients have been there. In the artificial tear aisle at the grocery store or pharmacy looking for relief . The choices are overwhelming; should I really spend a little extra on the name brand tear drop when a generic drop is half as expensive? We've all been told repeatedly that generic products are just as good as branded; why does my eye doctor specify Refresh, Systane, Blink, or Soothe tears?
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Most of the time, generic products are as effective as their name-brand counterparts. For artificial tears at least, this is not the case. Active ingredients in generic versus branded tears may appear to have the same components. The most significant difference is the preservative in the formulation (preservatives are needed to inhibit bacterial growth in the bottle).
In order for generic tear drops to be less expensive, they use preservatives that are cheaper. Cheaper preservatives often not gentle on the eye, such as benzalkonium chloride (BAK). These generic tear drops can actually worsen dry eye due to their preservatives. Patients will try to use these tears more often, which causes even more irritation.
Thankfully branded tears such as Refresh, Systane, Blink, or Soothe have gentle preservatives that keep the bottle safe from contamination and helps to heal the corneal surface, relieving dryness. At Advanced Eye Care and Surgery Center, Dr. Ballitch and Dr. Finn have samples to help patients help themselves. For artificial tears, name brand is the way to go.
Please call 419-521-3937 to setup an appointment today!
