Thera tears Extra vs Systane Which is Best?

Thera tears Extra vs Systane: Which is the better option for your eyes? There are so many attractive artificial tear brands in the market that choosing one to use can be extremely confusing.

Both are considered high-quality premium-grade lubricants for cars.

Systane is a synthetic blend while Thera tears are mineral oil.

But what really sets them apart are their ingredients.

Systane contains synthetic lubricants while

Thera tears are the main ingredient of olive oil (which is natural mineral oil).

The Thera tears Extra vs Systane comparison can give good pointers?

MY EYES’tory

Hi, I’m Grace, a 48-year-old mother of 2. I was recently assailed by a multitude of health issues – sinus trouble, hives, hot flushes. Peri-menopause, the doctor finally declared and prescribed some drugs.

Soon the upheaval toned down but my eyes gradually started stinging and having the ‘sand in my eyes’ feeling.

I was sad because this forced me to put away the movies I loved watching.

I soon discovered this was dry eye syndrome and eye drops would bring me relief.

However, there is such a wide variety of eye drops in the market, I don’t know which one to pick.

I believe this Thera tears Extra vs Systane fact-finding mission can give me some insights.

What are the differences between Thera tears Extra and Systane? How do they compare

Comparison Chart

Eye Drop	Thera tears Extra	Systane
Preservatives	Preservative free in the eye	Both with preservatives and preservative free Preservative free
Action	Carboxy methylcellulose (CMC) – Changes tear composition	hydroxypropyl guar (HP guar)- forms protective coat
Osmopolarity	Is a hypotonic solution	Not hypotonic
Size	15ml – multi reusable bottle	30ml multi-use bottle and vials for the non-preservative solution
How to get maximum benefit	Use with their eyelid cleanser and omega-3 supplement brands
	Check price	Check price

Preservatives

Thera tears Extra uses a vanishing preservative which turns into oxygen and water, when it mixes with the tear film.

This is safer than the common preservatives used in many eye drops.

Preserved Systane uses Polyquaternium-1 as a preservative.

Though preservatives inhibit bacterial growth and keep eye drops safer, some people are sensitive or even allergic to them.

These eye drops may end up causing irritation, redness, and more dryness in such people.

In high concentrations, polyquaternium-1 has been found to be harmful to eye cells.

Action

The active ingredients in Thera tears Extra tries to replicate healthy tears in order to prevent damage that would occur to the cells of the eyes as a result of having dry eyes.

On the other hand, the HP guar in Systane forms a gel-like coating that protects the eye’s damaged cells, improving the healing process.

Osmolarity

Osmolarity is the concentration or saltiness of the tears.

Hyperosmolarity (high salt concentration) is a common feature in most forms of dry eye syndrome. It damages eye cells.

Thera tears Extra solution is hypotonic (has a lower osmotic pressure).

The system solution is not hypotonic.

Size

Thera tears Extra comes in a 15ml multi-reusable bottle whereas the preserved Sytane comes in a 30ml multi-use bottle and the non-preserved in single-use vials.

To avoid contamination, preservative-free eye drops need to be a single-dose unit (SDU) with a twist-off cap.

After taking the one dose, the vial should be disposed of.

Thera tears Extra vs Systane: Which is the better option

Thera tears Extra Review

Thera tears Extra has extra moisturizing to rehydrate dry eyes, protect them from further irritation, and support their natural tear PH level.

Having a multi-reusable bottle makes the eye drop less costly and less bulky.

Studies show that the vanishing preservative is beneficial to the eye.

It is very helpful in treating patients with lipid tear-deficiency, and managing those with Sjogren’s syndrome.

The solution’s hypotonic nature provides comfort to dry eye patients.

3 Thera products are designed to be used together to restore, cleanse and nourish your eyes.

So, to get the maximum benefit from using Thera tears Extra, you need to also purchase and use Thera tears Stelid (for cleansing eyelids and lashes), and Thera tears Eye Nutrition (Omega-3 supplements to nourish eyes and promote healthy tears).

Pros

• The eyes stay hydrated for longer.
• The vanishing preservative makes the eye drop cheaper than the preservative-free ones.
• The product’s small size is easier initial trial buying

Cons

• The vanishing preservative is not as foolproof as having the preservative-free solutions
• There are high chances of the contamination
• Purchasing and carrying around 3 products is more costly and cumbersome

Systane

Systane boasts of being the number 1 doctor recommended brand of artificial tears.

Because it has both preserved and non-preserved options, customers can make a preference choice.

Since the preserved solution comes in multi-use bottle, proper handling is necessary to avoid contamination through touching the tip with hands, eyelids or eye lashes.

Systane’s coating of the eye-protective property reduces evaporation of tears from the eyes.

This makes Systane beneficial to patients whose conditions are a result evaporative dry eye (e.g. meibomian gland disease).

Pros

• The HP guar protects damaged cells and reduces tear evaporation
• The non-preserved solution is safe for all patients.

Cons

• Chances of contamination of the tip of the bottle by improper handling are high.
• The big bottle discourages buying for trial
• The No-preservative product may be costly

Final Verdict: Thera tears Extra vs Systane drops

No single eye drop works well for every form of dry eye syndrome.

Rather, each option has its benefits in certain situations.

For example, whereas Thera tears Extra strives to prevent damage to eye cells as a result of dry eyes, Systane strives to heal the damage that has occurred.

I believe for the Thera tears Extra Vs Systane quest, each eye drop has its unique advantages.

FAQs on Systane and Thera tears Extra uses