Are there any new drops for dry eye?
Always.
Allergan announces the launch of Refresh Repair lubricant eye drops.
How is this different than all the others?
This over-the-counter drop is focused around the hyperosmotic surface found in dry eye.
What does that mean exactly?
Tear osmolarity refers to the concentration of solutes in the tear film. A decrease in either aqueous or lipid production results in an increase in tear osmolarity, aka hyperosmotic tears.
Why are hyperosmotic tears bad?
Because they cause damage to the corneal epithelium. (TearLab has a nice animation of this if you’re interested.)
So back to the drop…
Refresh Repair is unique because it contains osmoprotectants. The osmoprotectants “displace salt in the tear film to safeguard epithelial cells against hyperosmotic stress, thus helping maintain the health of the ocular surface.”
