If your eyes are dry and irritated, ask yourself: Could the little pill you pop each day be the culprit?
People taking over-the-counter and prescription medications may not realize the extent to which common pills, sprays, drops and liquids can starve the eyes of adequate hydration.
Antihistamines
Antihistamines such as Allegra (fexofenadine), Claritin (loratadine), Zyrtec (Cetirizine), and Benadryl (diphenhydramine) block the effect of the chemical histamine, which the body produces in its attack against allergens. They can provide much-needed relief of allergy and cold symptoms, including sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and a runny nose.
Nasal decongestants
What’s soothing to a stuffy nose may not be so gentle on the eyes. Over-the-counter decongestants are the go-to medicines for easing cold and flu symptoms, hay fever and sinusitis. They work by narrowing blood vessels in the membranes of the nose. Blood flow to swollen nasal tissue is reduced, allowing blocked-up noses to breathe with greater ease. Nasal decongestants come as pills, liquids and nasal sprays.
Blood pressure-lowering drugs
People who take prescription medications to lower their blood pressure and treat certain heart conditions, can also suffer from dry eye. Beta blockers, for example, slow heart rate, reduce the force of heart muscle contractions and lessen blood vessel contraction. But these drugs are thought to decrease sensitivity of the cornea, the transparent window of the eye.
Antidepressant, antipsychotic, and Parkinson’s medications
Elavil (amitriptyline), a tricyclic antidepressant, and thioridazine for schizophrenia are among a group of medicines with so-called anticholinergic effects. They block the transmission of nerve impulses.
Hormone therapy and oral contraceptives
Women who take hormone therapy, particularly estrogen alone, have a greater likelihood of developing dry eye. In a study involving more than 25,000 post-menopausal women, those taking estrogen alone had a 69% increased risk of dry eye and those taking estrogen plus progesterone had a 29% greater risk, compared to women not taking hormones.
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