There's no one-size-fits-all eye drop, just like there's no universal length of expiration. Generally, the expiration date is listed about one to two years after the date of manufacturing, but even the Food and Drug Administration says that this number can be arbitrary.
Each type of eye drop will have a unique expiration date, and the ingredients will influence that date. In Clear Eyes Redness Relief eye drops, for example, the active chemical ingredients of glycerin the lubricant and naphazoline hydrochloride the redness reliever eventually break down, meaning they'll be less effective and safe. In addition, many eye drops contain preservatives to help them last longer and stave off germ contamination.
Most eye drops with preservatives will have an expiration date of at least one year after manufacturing, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology AAO. It's generally safe and effective to use these eye drops until their expiration date. However, the AAO says that if you've already opened the eye drops, they may have a much shorter shelf life, and you should throw them away three months after opening — even if it's before expiration.
That's because after opening eye drops, the exposure to oxygen can accelerate the degradation of chemical ingredients and cause the solution to weaken. Eye drops without preservatives usually coming in single-use vials should be thrown out 24 hours after opening. These are generally meant for one time use. The expiration date indicates when the eye drops are no longer guaranteed to be effective or sterile, says Vivian Shibayama , OD, an eye and vision care expert at UCLA Health.
Because the preservatives keeping the eye drops sterile have weakened over time, germs could contaminate the bottle after opening and cause eye infections, she says. The eyes are some of the moistest parts of the outside of the body, and as such they can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Patients are usually instructed slowly squirt the drops onto the eyeball, usually just beneath the lid. The dropper is never meant to touch the surface of the eye or its fluids, but contact is nonetheless made in many cases.
Once contact has been made fluids are able to commingle on the dropper, and may even drop back into the main solution chamber. Reintroducing a contaminated dropper to the sensitive eye area can result in serious consequences. Bacterial infections in the eye are often accompanied by swelling, inflammation, and itching.
Medical attention is almost always required, too, since the nature of most infections is to spread; left untreated, things can penetrate deep into the eyeball, possibly impacting vision, or can spread across the face. Healthcare professionals generally recommend that people get rid of expired eye drops and replace them with new products.
There is little sense introducing eyes to liquid that is ineffective at best and contaminated at worst. Expired eye medicines, particularly those that were bought over the counter, usually can be thrown away in the household trash; these solutions are typically mild, and are unlikely to pose risks to the environment or to other people's health.
To help identify if your Eye Drops have been compromised, Dr. Harris gives us this important advice. According to Dr. To avoid an eye infection, Dr. Are expired eye drops safe to use? The answer is no. And transferring them into the eye is one of the most common ways to contract an infection. Eye Drops are formulated with preservatives to ensure the sealed product is safe to use until the expiry date also known as the shelf life.
Some preservatives and phosphates used in eye drops are toxic, but not all. Opthalmic Surgeon, Dr. In Dr.
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