Eye Drops May Do More Harm Than Good

One of the worst pains I have ever felt was when I scratched the cornea in my eye. It took over a week for the injury to heal. Part of my treatment was putting eye drops into my injured eye twice daily. We see eye drops every day, no matter if we are at any pharmacy or "big box" retailer in West Alabama.

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When we think of eyedrops, we think of relief from soreness and discomfort. However, some eyedrops could cause partial vision impairment or even blindness, according to the FDA and Komando.com.

Per the article, the Food and Drug Administration warns consumers to avoid buying and stop using 27 brands of eye drops. If you are using these eye drops and feel like you are getting an eye infection, stop using them and consult your doctor.

What is the problem?

The FDA has recommended a recall of the products after they found unsanitary manufacturing conditions in the company's facilities. As most know, eye drops are supposed to be sterile since they go directly into our eyes.

Since the drops come into direct contact with our eyes, some natural defense systems against infections can't do their job.

Eyedrops to stay away from and which stores carry them:

CVS Health:

Lubricant Eye Drops - 15 ml (single pack)

Lubricant Eye Drops - 15 ml (twin pack)

Lubricant Gel Drops - 15 ml (single pack)

Lubricant Gel Drops - 15 ml (twin pack)

Multi-Action Relief Drops - 15 ml

Lubricating Gel drops - 10 ml

Lubricant Eye Drops - 10 ml (single pack)

Lubricant Eye Drops - 10 ml (twin pack)

Mild Moderate Lubricating Eye Drops - 15 ml (single pack)

Rite Aid:

Lubricant Eye Drops - 15 ml (twin pack)

Lubricant Eye Drops - 10 ml (twin pack)

Gentle Lubricant Gel Eye Drops - 15 ml

Lubricant Gel Drops - 15 ml

Lubricating Gel Drops - 10 ml

Multi-Action Relief Drops - 15 ml

Target:

Up&Up Dry Eye Relief Lubricant Eye Drops - 30 ml

Up&Up Extreme Relief Dry Eye - 15 ml (single pack)

Up&Up Extreme Relief Dry Eye - 30 ml (twin pack)

Walmart:

Equate Hydration PF Lubricant Eye Drop 10 ml

CVS, Target and Rite Aid removed the products from both their stores and their digital platforms. However, some of these products may still be available that were manufactured by Leader, Rugby, and Velocity.

At the time of reporting, no issues had been reported to the FDA; however, users can report any problems that may occur from using these eyedrops at MedWatch.