What are the common misunderstandings about dry eye and eye drops?
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
With more screen time, an estimated 20 million people in Japan complain of dry or tired eyes. Here is how to choose over-the-counter (OTC) eye drops in Japan, and where ideas about "how often to use them", "contact lenses" and "cooling drops" go wrong, based on materials from the Japanese Ophthalmological Society and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW).
Numbers and guidelines
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated dry eye | About 20 million people (Japan) | Japanese Ophthalmological Society; Dry Eye Society |
| Blinking | Normally about 20 times a minute → about 5–7 times when staring at a screen | General ophthalmology explanation |
| Screen work | No more than 1 hour at a stretch, then a 10–15 minute break; screen below eye level (looking down narrows the eye opening, so the eye dries less) | MHLW guidelines |
| Types of OTC eye drops | Artificial tears (人工涙液, jinkō ruieki; close to natural tears): for dryness ／ Redness relievers (vasoconstrictors): rebound redness with repeated use ／ Cooling (menthol): the sensation feels good, nothing more ／ Antibacterial: styes etc. | General pharmacist explanation |
| How often | Artificial tears up to 5–6 times a day (product label). If you need more, use preservative-free single-use vials | Product labels |
| Contact lenses | Only drops labelled for use while wearing lenses. Hard lenses: yes; soft lenses: depends on the product | Product labels |
| When to see a doctor | Dryness, grittiness or blurring that continues; no improvement with OTC drops; pain or reduced vision | Eye clinic |
- Dry eye is diagnosed at an eye clinic by checking tear volume (Schirmer test), tear stability (break-up time, BUT) and damage to the cornea. Care is with prescription drops (hyaluronic acid, mucin secretagogues and others), which differ from OTC products.
- The preservative in OTC drops (benzalkonium chloride) is noted as a burden on the cornea when used often; the usual advice from eye doctors is preservative-free single-use drops if you go beyond 5–6 times a day.
- Redness-relief drops constrict blood vessels to make the eye look white; repeated use is known to cause rebound redness (the eye ends up redder). Avoid daily use "for tired eyes".
- Air-conditioning and humidity: 40–60% humidity, and do not let the airflow hit your eyes directly (see our article on air-conditioning).
[Verify] Check the estimated number against the Dry Eye Society, blink rates against standard ophthalmology texts, and the guidelines against the MHLW.
Misunderstanding 1｜OTC eye drops solve dry eye
They top up moisture for a while. If symptoms continue, have your tears tested at an eye clinic. Prescription drops are different from OTC drops.
Misunderstanding 2｜The more drops, the better
Drops with preservative: up to 5–6 times a day. If you need more, go preservative-free. After a drop, press gently on the inner corner of the eye and do not blink repeatedly.
Misunderstanding 3｜A drop that feels icy is working
The cool feeling is menthol irritation and has nothing to do with relieving dryness. Some people avoid strongly cooling drops.
Misunderstanding 4｜Red eyes? Use redness-relief drops every day
Repeated vasoconstrictor use causes rebound redness. Have the cause of the redness (dryness, allergy, inflammation) checked at an eye clinic.
Misunderstanding 5｜Eye drops keep for a long time after opening
About one month after opening (product label). Single-use vials: the same day. Do not let the tip touch your eye or lashes.
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Sources
- Japanese Ophthalmological Society, *Dry eye* (Eye diseases) [ドライアイ（目の病気）]
https://www.nichigan.or.jp/public/disease/
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, *Guidelines on Occupational Health Management for Work with Information Devices* [情報機器作業における労働衛生管理のためのガイドライン] (2019)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000539604.pdf
- Japan Self-Medication Industry (the OTC medicines association) [日本OTC医薬品協会], *How to use eye drops correctly* [目薬の正しい使い方]
https://www.jsmi.jp/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
About this article
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
This article is not meant to diagnose or manage any specific medical condition. If you are worried about your health, see a doctor rather than relying on your own judgement.
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