In this Article

• What is the structure of the eye?
• Which common disorders of the eye can (sometimes) be self-treated?
• What common eye conditions usually require treatment by a doctor?
• What types of OTC eye-care products are there?
• What inactive ingredients are contained in OTC eye-care products?
• Eye Care Glossary
• Eye Care Index

What inactive ingredients are contained in OTC eye-care products?

Most eye-care products contain ingredients that have no therapeutic value. If an individual has a known sensitivity to one or more of these ingredients, then products containing them should be avoided.

Vehicles: An ophthalmic vehicle is added to a product to enhance drug action by increasing the viscosity (thickness) of the product. Examples of ophthalmic vehicles are Dextran 70, gelatin, glycerin, poloxamer 407, and propylene glycol.

Preservatives: Preservatives are included to destroy or limit growth of bacteria that may be introduced into the product during repeated use. Examples of ophthalmic preservatives are benzalkonium chloride (BAK), cetylpyridinium chloride, chlorobutanol, methylparaben, sodium benzoate, and sorbic acid. To avoid allergies, many ophthalmic products are preservative free.

Excipients: An excipient is a substance that is added to provide physical form to the product, make it less irritating to the eye, or to preserve the ingredients within the product. Useful ophthalmic excipients are antioxidants, wetting agents, buffers, and tonicity adjusters.

Reference: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, McGraw-Hill, edited by Eugene Braunwald, et al., 2001.

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