“Why do my eyes burn when I put in eye drops?”
This is one of the most common complaints I get from patients with dry eyes or if they are taking an eye drop to help fight an infection. The best analogy I can give is when you have really dry hands, the stinging/ burning you feel with putting on lotion is the same concept that is happening to your eyes. When your eyes are dry or you are frequently using a drop that has preservatives, your eye has little “cracks/cuts” that are microscopic, therefore it stings when first putting the drops in your eyes.
Using artificial tears consistently is the best way to combat this. As with lotion and your hands, when you stop using it, your hands will get dry again. The same thing applies to your eyes when using artificial tears. The more consistently you use the artificial tears, the less stinging and burning you will experience!