Avoid OTC eye drops that "get the red out"

What to Do

Do not use vasoconstrictive eye drops like Visine Original or Clear Eyes for allergy symptoms. They reduce redness temporarily but do not treat the underlying allergy and cause rebound redness with regular use.

Why It Works

These drops contain vasoconstrictors (tetrahydrozoline, naphazoline) that shrink blood vessels cosmetically. They do not block histamine, stabilize mast cells, or reduce inflammation. After 3-5 days of use, the blood vessels dilate worse than before (rebound), similar to how Afrin causes rebound nasal congestion.

Tips

• Use true allergy eye drops (ketotifen, olopatadine) instead
• Visine-A and Naphcon-A contain an antihistamine but still have the vasoconstrictor problem
• If your eyes are red from allergies, treating the allergy resolves the redness safely