What Are Hormone Eyedrops and What Are Their Potential Side Effects?

Hormonal eye drops include dexamethasone eye drops, fluoromethalone eye drops, and tobramycin eye drops. Long-term use of hormonal eye drops may lead to increased intraocular pressure, decreased vision, and eye discomfort. Therefore, it is not recommended for long-term use, and medication should be stopped immediately upon adverse reactions.

1. Hormonal eye drops can quickly eliminate inflammatory reactions in the anterior segment of the eye, reduce eye irritation, and prevent complications such as iris adhesion. However, long-term use of hormonal eye drops can cause many side effects, such as dysfunction of the trabecular meshwork, abnormal drainage of aqueous humor, resulting in increased intraocular pressure, and ultimately leading to steroid-induced glaucoma.

2. Hormonal eye drops can affect the metabolism of the lens, causing lens opacity and steroid-induced cataracts. Long-term use of hormones can also reduce the immune function of the eye, leading to secondary infections of the ocular surface. If there is ulceration on the ocular surface, hormonal eye drops may exacerbate the condition.

3. Long-term use of hormones can cause drug-induced cataracts, but some cataracts may be reversible after discontinuation of the hormones. However, many patients have difficulty discontinuing the use of hormones due to their underlying diseases, so cataracts may continue to worsen.