Eye Care (cont.)
Andrew A. Dahl, MD, FACS
Andrew A. Dahl, MD, is a board-certified ophthalmologist. Dr. Dahl's educational background includes a BA with Honors and Distinction from Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, and an MD from Cornell University, where he was selected for Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society. He had an internal medical internship at the New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center.
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
In this Article
- Eye care introduction
- What is the structure of the eye?
- Which common disorders of the eye can (sometimes) be self-treated?
- What common eye conditions usually require treatment by a doctor?
- What types of OTC eye care products are there?
- What inactive ingredients are contained in OTC eye care products?
- Find a local Eye Doctor in your town
What inactive ingredients are contained in OTC eye care products?
Most eye care products contain ingredients that have no therapeutic value. If an individual has a known sensitivity to one or more of these ingredients, then products containing them should be avoided.
Vehicles: An ophthalmic vehicle is added to a product to enhance drug action by increasing the viscosity (thickness) of the product. Examples of ophthalmic vehicles are Dextran 70, gelatin, glycerin, poloxamer 407, and propylene glycol.
Preservatives: Preservatives are included to destroy or limit growth of bacteria that may be introduced into the product during repeated use. Examples of ophthalmic preservatives are benzalkonium chloride (BAK), cetylpyridinium chloride, chlorobutanol, methylparaben, sodium benzoate, and sorbic acid. To avoid allergies, many ophthalmic products are preservative free.
Excipients: An excipient is a substance that is added to provide physical form to the product, make it less irritating to the eye, or to preserve the ingredients within the product. Useful ophthalmic excipients are antioxidants, wetting agents, buffers, and tonicity adjusters.
REFERENCE:
Braunwald, Eugene, et al. Harrisons's Principles of Internal Medicine. 15th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2001.
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