Is it okay to use eye drops every day?

For Quell, daily use is what the label describes. Its directions are: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. That’s an everyday schedule, not an occasional one. The label sets one limit on how long to keep going without help: stop and ask a doctor if you have eye pain, vision changes, irritation that continues, or symptoms that worsen or last more than 72 hours.

What the label says about daily use

Over-the-counter drugs carry their directions on the Drug Facts panel, and those directions are the instructions for using the product without a doctor’s order. Quell’s say Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. There’s no line limiting it to a certain number of days, and no instruction to take breaks. Used as directed, every day is the intended pattern.

“Three times per day in each eye” works out to six drops a day across both eyes. At that rate, one .33 fl oz (10 mL) bottle runs about a month, which is why many people keep a spare; how long does a bottle of eye drops last? works through the math.

Why preservative-free matters for an everyday drop

When a drop goes in six times a day, every ingredient gets that many exposures. Quell has no preservative. Its inactive ingredients are Caprylyl Glycol, Dead Sea Salt (Sodium Chloride), Emu Oil, Glyceryl Laurate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Manuka Honey, Polaxamer 188, Sterile Water, Terminalia Chubula and Tromethamine, and its actives are Glycerol (1.0%), Polysorbate 80 (1.0%) and Light Mineral Oil (0.5%). You can read the full list on the Drug Facts page and take it to a pharmacist if you have questions about any of them.

The stop-use rule

Daily use doesn’t mean using it no matter what. The label lists exactly when to stop: 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.

The 72-hour part is the one people most often miss. If your eyes haven’t settled after three days, or they’re getting worse, the label wants a doctor involved rather than more drops. Why the label mentions 72 hours explains that line in more detail.

Using it more or less than three times

More is not on the label. If three drops a day aren’t enough to keep you comfortable, that’s worth raising with an eye doctor rather than adding a fourth or fifth on your own; can I use more than three drops a day? covers it.

Fewer is a gray area the label doesn’t address. Some people find they reach for a drop mainly on dry or windy days. The label gives one schedule, so if you’re thinking about using it differently, ask your pharmacist or eye doctor how they’d approach it for you.

What the label leaves to a doctor

• Contact lenses: the label doesn’t give directions for using Quell with lenses in. Ask your eye doctor.
• Other eye drops: if you use prescription or other over-the-counter drops, the label doesn’t cover combining them. Ask your eye doctor or pharmacist about order and timing.
• Children: there are no separate directions for children. A pediatrician or eye doctor should decide.
• Months or years of use: the label doesn’t set a long-term limit, but if you’ve needed drops every day for a long time, an eye exam is a reasonable step to understand why.
• Allergies: the label cautions, Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only. If that applies to you, talk to a doctor first.

Good habits for an everyday drop

• Wash your hands before each use.
• Follow the label’s handling line: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.
• Look at the drop before you use it. Product appears as a milky brown solution, and the label’s Do not use line reads: If this product changes color.
• Store the bottle Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F), and close it after each use.
• Tie the three drops to fixed points in the day, such as breakfast, lunch and dinner, so none get skipped or doubled.

If daily drops feel like a lot

Needing drops every day often comes down to your surroundings: screens, heated or air-conditioned rooms, wind, or a dry climate. Changes there can help alongside the drop. Screens and your tear film and does a humidifier help dry eyes? cover two common causes. If you’d like to put what you’re noticing into words before seeing a doctor, the self-check is a place to start; it is not a diagnosis.