The Treasure Valley has a very dry climate (relative to coastal cities, for example, which experience much more humidity). Furthermore, the #1 cause of transient blurry vision (i.e. which fluctuates and comes and goes) is DRY EYE. Dry eyes can lead to headaches, disorientation, foreign body sensation (i.e. feeling like there are grains of sand on the surface of the eyes). Dry eye problems are especially prevalent in those who have had LASIK, and in women more than men, and becomes more and more problematic as we age (probably because we produce fewer tears as we age). Because of this, most patients would benefit from regular use of artificial tears. These can be applied on a scheduled basis (e.g. breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime) or can be used for task-specific activities (e.g. before sitting down to watch a BSU football game, or before going out on a bike ride). One important thing to understand is the difference between PRESERVATIVE FREE formulations and its alternative. A preservative free artificial tear will come in single-use droperettes (usually containing just a few drops per vial) whereas the preserved artificial tears come in 5ml bottles and above. The most common preservative used in artificial tears (as well as glaucoma drops and others) is called benzalkonium chloride (BAC) and can irritate the eye if used in excess. Generally, I do not recommend that patients use more than 4 drops per eye per day if using the preserved form of artificial tears. Preservative-free artificial tears, however, can generally be taken as often as you please without deleterious side effects.

In summary, artificial tears are generally highly recommended for ALL of the patients that we see. If you are using more than 4 drops a day you should switch from preserved formulations (tears in a bottle) to the preservative-free formulation (i.e. individual droperettes).