Should you use eye drops before an eye exam?

Ask the eye doctor’s office before the appointment. Some exams look at your eyes’ surface and tear film as they naturally are, so the office may ask you to skip lubricating drops that morning; others won’t mind. Either way, tell your eye doctor which drops you use, how often, and when you last used them, and bring the bottle or its Drug Facts details.

Why the timing of drops can matter at an exam

An eye exam often includes a look at the front surface of the eye and the tears that cover it. A lubricating drop adds liquid to that surface for a while after you use it. Whether that matters depends on what the eye doctor plans to look at and how they like to do it, which is why the answer comes from the office, not from a general rule. Only the practice you’re visiting knows its own process.

That’s also why this guide doesn’t tell you to skip or use drops on exam day. It tells you how to find out.

Ask the office in advance

The easiest moment to ask is when you book, or when the office calls to confirm. A few ways to phrase it:

• “I use lubricating eye drops every day. Should I use them the morning of my appointment, or skip them?”
• “How long before the exam should my last drop be, if it matters?”
• “Is there anything else I should avoid that day, like wearing eye makeup?”
• “Will my eyes be dilated, and should I bring a driver?”

If you forget to ask, call the day before. Offices field these questions all the time. Write down what they say so you don’t have to guess on the morning of the exam.

What to tell your eye doctor

Even if the office says drops are fine that day, the eye doctor will want to know about them. Be specific:

• The product name and whether it’s preservative-free. Quell is.
• How often you use it, and whether that matches the label’s directions, which for Quell read: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye.
• When you last used it before the appointment.
• What you notice before and after a drop: how your eyes feel, and when in the day dryness is worst.
• Any other eye products you use, including other drops, ointments, eyelid wipes or contact lens solutions.
• Anything that has changed recently, such as new screen hours, a new job, a move or a new medication.

Bring the bottle or its Drug Facts

The simplest way to give an accurate answer is to bring the bottle in its carton. The Drug Facts panel lists the active and inactive ingredients, so the eye doctor can see exactly what’s in it without relying on memory. For Quell, the active ingredients are Glycerol (1.0%), Polysorbate 80 (1.0%) and Light Mineral Oil (0.5%), and the inactive list is Caprylyl Glycol, Dead Sea Salt (Sodium Chloride), Emu Oil, Glyceryl Laurate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Manuka Honey, Polaxamer 188, Sterile Water, Terminalia Chubula and Tromethamine.

Snap a photo of the front of the carton and the Drug Facts panel too. If you’ve switched products in the past year, photos of the older ones help the eye doctor see the whole history, and they’re easy to keep in one album on your phone for future visits.

If you’d rather not carry the bottle, pull up our Drug Facts page on your phone. It shows the full panel, including the caution line: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only. Keep in mind the storage line, Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F), if the bottle will ride along in a hot or cold car on the way.

Questions worth asking while you’re there

An exam is a good time to get answers that a label can’t give you. Our list of questions to ask your eye doctor goes deeper, but a few to start with:

• Is a lubricating drop a reasonable choice for what you’re seeing?
• Is there anything about my daily habits, screens or work environment I should change?
• Is it fine to use these drops with my contact lenses, or with any other drops I use? The label doesn’t cover either situation.
• What symptoms should make me call before my next routine visit?
• When should I come back?

After the exam

If your eyes were dilated or tested with drops in the office, ask before you leave whether and when you can go back to your usual lubricating drop. Follow what they tell you. Once you’re back to your routine, the label’s directions and handling line apply as always: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.

If the eye doctor suggests a different approach, follow their advice. A lubricating drop from the store is for everyday dryness and irritation; working out the cause of persistent symptoms is what the exam is for.

What the label says about stopping

Don’t wait for a scheduled exam if something changes. Quell’s label is specific: 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. Our list of eye symptoms that need a doctor covers the signs that shouldn’t sit until your next appointment.

If you’re using drops before you’ve seen anyone, the dry eye self-check can help you organize what to mention at your visit; it’s not a diagnosis.