Antibiotic Eye Drops

Our eyes are very delicate organs. Exposure to allergens, eye strain and a lack of eye care can make us vulnerable to several eye problems. Redness, inflammation, swelling, discharge, pain, eye fatigue and itchiness could be attributed to eye infections such as blepharitis, conjunctivitis or keratitis. Different types of ophthalmic solution are used for treating eye infections and inflammatory conditions associated with the eyes. These are classified into artificial tears, antihistamine, mast cell stabilizers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroid, drops for glaucoma, antibiotic and antiviral eye drops. Antibiotic ophthalmic solutions are basically suspension of drugs that are used for treating bacterial eye infections. These medicated ophthalmic solutions might even be used for preventing eye infections. Here's some information on how these ophthalmic solutions help in treating or preventing bacterial infections.

Antibiotic Eye Drops

While some antibiotics are broad-spectrum, some of them are used for killing a specific group of bacteria. These are referred to as narrow-spectrum antibiotics. These eye drops are basically categorized into bacteriocidal, bacteriostatic and combination eye drops. Bacteriocidal drops contain certain active compounds that have the ability to kill bacteria. Wondering how do antibiotics kill bacteria? Well, these are suspension of drugs that contain certain active compounds that target essential chemical pathways, inner cell membrane and outer cell wall and interrupt the chemical processes that help these bacteria grow in the body.

Many of these drops contain aminglycosides. These act against certain types of bacteria. These are especially effective against pseudomonas. This bacterium is generally responsible for contamination of contact lenses. Neomycin, tobramycin, amikacin and gentamycin are all classified as aminoglycosides. The other category of antibiotics is called bacteriostatic antibiotic drugs. These drugs don't kill bacteria, but prevent them from multiplying. Bacteriostatic drops are usually prescribed for the treatment of conjunctivitis.

Sometimes ophthalmic solutions might also contain other drugs. These are referred to as combination eye drops. These are generally used to treat emergency cases. This kind of treatment is based on the principle of antibiotic synergism. Sometimes, the combined effect of different types of antibiotics is more effective than using individual antibiotics. Cases where the bacterial strain hasn't been identified and the bacteria seems to be capable of a great deal of harm, antibiotics and steroids are generally combined together for the treatment. These can also help in prevention of the development of resistant strains of bacteria. The most commonly used antibiotic ophthalmic solutions include ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, ofloxacin, tobramycin and monofloxacin.

Side Effects of these Eye Drops

Over-the-counter availability of ophthalmic solutions is becoming a major cause of concern. It is always better to buy the ones that are prescribed by an ophthalmologist rather than buying them over-the-counter at pharmacies. A prolonged use or overuse of antibiotics in the form of antibiotic eye ointments or drops can lead to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. These must therefore be used only when the infection is caused due to bacteria. Using these for treating allergies of the eyes or viral infections is surely a bad idea.

You must use these medicated drops only under the supervision of a doctor.There are certain bacterial infections that need to be treated with the help of target-specific antibiotics. Using broad-spectrum antibiotics might not be a good way of treating such infections. If you have been experiencing discomfort or irritation in your eyes, consult an ophthalmologist. Instilling these medicated ophthalmic solutions can even lead to certain side effects. If you experience discomfort or antibiotics side effects such as redness, itchiness, severe stinging sensation or blurred vision, you must discontinue using that particular eye drop or antibiotic eye ointment and consult an ophthalmologist immediately.

Before administering eye drops in your eyes, you must be sure about the type of infection you are suffering from. Since overuse of antibiotics for a long period of time can lead to the bacteria acquiring resistance to these antibiotics, you must refrain from using these drops on your own.