Over-the-counter eye drops vs prescription eye drops

Our exceptional selection of high-quality eye drops features entirely 'over-the-counter' products. These are designed to treat common eye problems and dry eye symptoms, like when they feel dry or irritated from your contact lenses or allergies. If your eyes start to feel worse, or the condition doesn't go away, just reach out to a healthcare professional who can recommend a more suitable prescription to tackle the problem.

Dry eyes:

It's quite common to experience dry eyes, particularly if you work in an environment that causes eye strain. You can get dry eyes for a variety of reasons, such as using a computer screen for long periods, not getting enough sleep and dehydration. But, what isn't well known is that dry eyes can actually impact the quality of your vision, as well as cause discomfort.

Eye drops provide lubrication by adding tear elements that are the same as those found naturally in your eyes. Because of this, they're often referred to as 'artificial tears', perfect for keeping your eyes moist and hydrated over the course of the day.

Steer clear of using decongestant eye drops for dry eyes. These are formulated for red eyes and can exacerbate dry eyes. If your dry eyes aren't going away using lubricating drops, visit an eye doctor or a healthcare practitioner, and they can recommend something more suitable like an eye spray or an eyewash.

Red eyes:

If you have red eyes caused by tiredness or focusing for long periods of time then decongestant eye drops can help you get a more healthy, white appearance. They serve a more cosmetic purpose, so if your red eyes don't seem to improve or get worse, you should seek medical advice. Red eyes can usually be solved with dry eye drops, or by upping your water intake and getting some rest.

You might feel that dry feeling after wearing your contact lenses for a while. To avoid this, simply give your eyes a rest at least one day a week, and switch to your glasses if needed. Like we've mentioned, eye drops can also work wonders, ensuring your eyes feel comfortable while your vision remains crystal-clear. Additionally, changing to a daily wearing pattern or to a contact lens brand made of silicone hydrogel material, which is incredibly hydrating, can be a quick win in terms of reducing your regular dry eye experiences.

Once you've applied eyed drops a couple of times, you'll find it quick and easy to do. If you're unsure, follow these simple steps, as recommended by our head optician.

everclear Eye Drops

These eye drops, exclusive to Vision Direct, offer fast and effective relief for dry or irritated eyes. Made with a formula that includes natural, herbal ingredients, they're perfect for providing you with fresh feeling and comfortable eyes wherever you are.

Hycosan Eye Drops

If you often experience dry eyes, then these preservative-free eye drops are ideal for soothing them. This formula boosts your eye's moisture functions meaning that the relief you get from using them feels natural and lasts longer than other products on the market.

Blink Contacts Bottle

Blinks Contact Vials are a super-convenient way of getting instant relief when you're suffering from dry eyes. Each pack comes with 20 small vials filled with a solution that's brilliant for soothing and hydrating dry and tired eyes. These are great for carrying on you, as each 0.35ml bottle fits easily into your pocket.

Blink Contacts Vials

Blinks Contact Vials are super convenient way of getting instant relief when you’re suffering from dry eyes. Each pack comes with 20 small vials filled with a solution that is perfect for soothing and hydrating dry and tired eyes. These are perfect for carrying on you as each 0.35ml bottle fits easily into your pocket.

Hycosan Extra Eye Drops

These eye drops are designed to tackle the most irritating cases of dry eyes, so if you regularly experience them, they can help you avoid the discomfort. Each bottle contains enough eye drops for up to 5 weeks of regular usage and will last for 6 months after opening.

• At Vision Direct, we sell the same contact lenses and eye care products from the same manufacturers as high street opticians at up to 45% less. As a standard, you can get free speedy delivery on all orders over the value of €59. We offer discounts to our email subscribers who can get early access to our promotions throughout the year, including our seasonal sales and Black Friday discounts. Plus, the majority of our parcels are letterbox friendly, so you don’t need to be home to receive your lens order. We offer all this without the need to have your prescription validated. Yet if you prefer, our resident optician is on hand to check your contact lens prescription as well as provide expert advice on how best to care for your lenses. And if you have any queries about ordering with us, our trained and friendly customer service team is just a call or message away. It's no surprise that we have tens of thousands of 5-star reviews on Trustpilot.

Buying your lenses with us is straightforward.

When buying contact lenses online, all you need to do is double-check your prescription on the side of a box of contact lenses you recently bought, enter the details and go through the simple checkout process.

Step 1: Navigate to any of our product pages to find your contact lens prescription details.

Step 2: On the right-hand side of the page, you can enter your contact lens prescription. If you're unsure how to read your prescription, follow the link to find out and watch our handy video for some easy-to-follow advice.

Need some help? Send us a picture of your prescription, and we can quickly double-check your details.

Step 3: Once you’ve made your selection, click “Add to Basket”.

Step 4: Check that everything looks correct in your basket. If you’re ready to order, select “Proceed to Checkout”.

Step 5: Provide your Delivery and Billing Address and enter your payment method. Accept our terms and conditions and select “Place Order”.

It’s as easy as that! See for yourself and start your contact lens order now.

Learning how to read your contact lens prescription might be daunting at first. All contact lens prescriptions include a least three values: base curve, diameter, and power. However, for toric or multifocal lenses additional values will be added to the prescription, usually no more than four.

The specifications you can expect to see are as follows:

Base Curve (BC): The curvature of the lens in millimetres usually between 8.3 and 9.0.

Diameter (D): The diameter of the contact lens. This number ranges from between 13.8 to 14.5.

Power (PWR/SPH): Is a + or - figure followed by a number e.g. -4.50 or +0.25. This represents the level of visual correction needed, and whether your lenses correct long-sightedness (plus/+ powers) or short-sightedness (minus/- powers). For some contact lenses, the power may also be 0.00, plano or displayed with this symbol ∞ which is for non-prescription use e.g. coloured contact lenses.

If you have astigmatism or wear multifocal contact lenses you can read out full guide on how to read your contact lens prescription.