But not all may be right for you, says Larry R. Taub, M.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology and director of comprehensive ophthalmology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. So choose those that are most comfortable to you. Artificial tears have the following differences. Thick versus watery. Thicker tears and ointments will stay on your eyes longer, but they can temporarily make your vision blurry.
Ointments work best at night when it s impractical to keep getting up and applying tears.
Dr. Taub suggests that you use thicker tears during the day when thinner tears stop working their magic. You can tell if tears are thick or thin by checking the active ingredients. Thicker tears contain methylcellulose. Preservatives versus no preservatives. Preservative isn t necessarily a bad word.