Do eye drops help tired eyes?

Lubricating eye drops can help when tired eyes are really dry eyes, which is common after hours at a screen or a long day in dry air. Quell’s label lists its uses as relieving dryness and protecting against further irritation; it doesn’t mention fatigue. Drops won’t fix a lack of sleep or focusing strain, and tired eyes that come with pain or vision changes belongs with an eye doctor.

What people mean by “tired eyes”

“Tired eyes” isn’t a label term or a single thing. People use it for a handful of different sensations, and a drop helps with some of them and not others:

• A dry, gritty or burning feeling, especially later in the day.
• Heavy eyelids or wanting to close your eyes, often from short sleep.
• An achy feeling from focusing up close for a long time.
• Eyes that water, sting or feel irritated.
• Blurry vision that clears when you blink.

The first and the last of these often trace back to the tear film, the thin layer of oil, water and mucus that keeps the eye’s surface smooth. When it thins out, eyes feel dry and vision can flicker until a blink resets it. That overlap is where a lubricating drop has something to offer.

Do eye drops relieve tired eyes? What the label says

An over-the-counter drop can only claim what its Drug Facts label covers. Quell’s Uses line reads: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. So the honest answer is: if your tired eyes feel dry or irritated, the label speaks to that. If “tired” means sleepy, achy from focusing, or something else, the label doesn’t.

Quell is designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss, which matters most where evaporation is the problem: screens, air conditioning, heated rooms and wind. The directions read: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. The full panel is on the Drug Facts page.

Why screens make eyes feel tired

When you concentrate on a screen, you blink less often, and many blinks are incomplete. Each blink spreads a fresh layer of tears; fewer and shallower blinks let the surface dry between them. By mid-afternoon that shows up as burning, a sandy feeling or blur, which most people describe as tired eyes.

Close-up focus adds its own fatigue, separate from dryness. Your eyes work to hold a near point for hours, and that effort can ache even when the surface is well lubricated. A drop doesn’t change focusing effort; breaks do. Screens and your tear film explains the blinking side in more detail.

How do you soothe tired eyes without drops?

• Look away from the screen at something distant every so often and blink fully a few times.
• Lower your monitor slightly so you look down at it; less of the eye is exposed to the air.
• Move vents and fans so they don’t blow across your face.
• Rest your eyes closed for a minute between tasks.
• Get enough sleep. Short nights make eyes feel heavy and dry the following morning.
• Turn up the text size so you aren’t straining to read.
• Get outside for a few minutes; changing your focus and your surroundings helps.

If your eyes feel tired after poor sleep, Dry eyes from lack of sleep covers that connection.

Can I use eye drops for tired eyes every day?

The label’s directions apply every day you use it: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. If you find you want drops more often than that, or every day just to get through work, that’s useful information to take to an eye doctor, who can look at why your eyes are drying out. Is it okay to use eye drops every day? covers the question in more depth.

Using a lubricating drop for end-of-day dryness

• Wash your hands first.
• Tilt your head back, gently pull down the lower lid and look up.
• Let one drop fall into the pocket without the tip touching anything. The label says: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.
• Close your eyes gently for a moment rather than blinking hard.
• Expect a milky-brown liquid. The eye drops have a naturally milky-brown appearance. This is normal and does not indicate a problem with the product.

Before you use it, read the warning: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only. The label doesn’t give directions for contact lenses or for using other eye drops at the same time; ask your eye doctor or pharmacist about either.

When tired eyes need a doctor, not a drop

Some eye fatigue is a signal worth paying attention to. See an eye doctor if your eyes feel tired along with:

• Blurry vision that doesn’t clear when you blink.
• Headaches when you read or use a screen.
• Pain, light sensitivity or a feeling that something is in your eye.
• Double vision or new difficulty focusing.
• Symptoms in one eye only that keep coming back.

Focusing strain can also come from glasses or contacts that no longer match your eyes, and only an eye exam can check that. Quell’s label is clear: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours. Eye symptoms that need a doctor lists more warning signs.

Not sure whether it’s dryness?

The free dry eye self-check asks a few questions about when and how your eyes bother you and suggests whether your answers point toward dryness or toward seeing a doctor. It is not a diagnosis, but it can help you describe what’s going on. If dryness fits, Quell is available to order without a prescription.