Dry Eye Treatment: What Works, What Doesn’t, and How to Avoid Common Mistakes
When your eyes feel gritty, burning, or like they’re full of sand, you’re dealing with dry eye treatment, a range of strategies used to relieve chronic eye dryness caused by poor tear production or fast tear evaporation. Also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, it’s not just annoyance—it’s a condition that affects over 16 million Americans and often gets worse with age, screen use, or certain medications. Many people reach for the first bottle of OTC eye drops, over-the-counter lubricants sold without a prescription to temporarily relieve eye dryness and irritation they see on the shelf, but not all are created equal. Some contain preservatives that irritate eyes more than they help. Others promise to reduce redness but just mask the problem by shrinking blood vessels—making dryness worse over time.
The real issue? Dry eye isn’t always about your eyes. It’s often tied to what’s happening elsewhere in your body. Take anticholinergics, a class of drugs that block acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in tear production and saliva flow. Medications like diphenhydramine (Benadryl), oxybutynin (for overactive bladder), or even some antidepressants reduce tear secretion as a side effect. If you’re on one of these and your eyes feel dry, it’s not coincidence—it’s biology. And if you’re also using artificial tears, lubricating eye drops designed to mimic natural tears and restore moisture to the eye surface but not seeing improvement, you might be treating the symptom while ignoring the cause.
What actually helps? Simple changes: blinking more while staring at screens, using a humidifier at night, avoiding direct airflow from fans or heaters, and choosing preservative-free artificial tears. Some people benefit from warm compresses and eyelid scrubs to unclog oil glands. Others need prescription drops like cyclosporine or lifitegrast. But the most overlooked fix? Reviewing your meds. If you’re taking five or more drugs, especially as an older adult, you might be stacking side effects that dry out your eyes, mouth, and more. One study found that people on three or more anticholinergic drugs had nearly double the risk of severe dry eye compared to those on none.
You’ll find real stories below—people who thought their dry eyes were just aging, until they switched a medication or stopped using redness-relief drops. Others found relief only after realizing their allergy medicine was the culprit. There’s no magic bullet, but there are clear paths forward. What works for one person might backfire for another. Below, you’ll see what’s backed by evidence, what’s hype, and how to spot the difference before you waste time, money, or comfort.
