Optrex Bloodshot Eye Drops 10ml

Optrex Bloodshot Eye Drops 10ml – naphazoline hydrochloride 0.01% with distilled witch hazel, for temporary relief of redness from minor eye irritation.

  • Reduces the look of red, bloodshot eyes within minutes
  • Naphazoline decongestant plus soothing witch hazel
  • For adults and children over 12
  • For occasional use – not a daily eye drop
  • Dispatched by a GPhC-registered UK pharmacy

£7.49

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Optrex Bloodshot Eye Drops give temporary relief from the redness of minor eye irritation. Each 10ml bottle contains naphazoline hydrochloride 0.01% w/v with distilled witch hazel 12.5% v/v — a decongestant that narrows the widened blood vessels making the white of the eye look red, plus a traditional astringent that soothes.

What are Optrex Bloodshot Eye Drops?

They are a licensed general sale medicine for adults and children over 12. The two actives do different jobs: naphazoline is a vasoconstrictor — it tightens the small surface blood vessels that dilate when the eye is irritated, so the redness fades within minutes — and distilled witch hazel (hamamelis water) is a mild astringent that helps calm the surface of the eye.

What are they used for?

  • Red eyes from minor irritation — smoke, dust, chlorine, wind or air conditioning
  • Eyes that look bloodshot after a late night, a long screen session or a long drive
  • Redness from mild, short-lived irritation where the eye is otherwise comfortable

They treat the appearance of redness, not its cause. They are not a treatment for conjunctivitis or any eye infection, not for allergy (that needs an antihistamine or anti-allergy eye drop), and not for dry eye — for that a lubricating product such as Optrex ActiMist eye spray or Hylo-Forte treats the actual problem.

The thing worth knowing before you buy: rebound redness

This is the point most product pages leave out, and it is in the official product information. Continued use of a decongestant eye drop can itself increase redness of the eye. The mechanism is the same one behind rebound congestion with decongestant nasal sprays: the vessels adapt to being constricted, so when the drop wears off they dilate wider than before, the eye looks redder, and you reach for the bottle again.

So use these drops for occasional, short-term redness — not as a daily routine. If your eyes are red most days, the redness has a cause worth identifying (dry eye, allergy, blepharitis, screen strain, or lens intolerance), and masking it daily will make it worse rather than better. Speak to your pharmacist or optometrist instead.

How to use Optrex Bloodshot Eye Drops

  • Adults and children over 12: one or two drops into the affected eye, up to four times a day.
  • Not for children under 12.
  • Remove soft contact lenses before use and wait at least 15 minutes before putting them back in.
  • Do not touch the dropper tip against the eye or any surface.
  • Discard the bottle 28 days after opening, even if there is drops left — once opened, sterility cannot be assured beyond that.

Who should not use them

  • Anyone with closed-angle glaucoma or any serious eye disease
  • Anyone taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), or who has taken one in the last 14 days
  • Children under 12
  • Anyone allergic to naphazoline, witch hazel or the other ingredients

Check with your pharmacist first if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, a thyroid disorder or depression — naphazoline is absorbed in small amounts and these conditions warrant caution.

When red eyes need a doctor, not a drop

See your GP, an optometrist or 111 promptly if redness comes with any of these: eye pain, reduced or blurred vision, sensitivity to light, a sticky yellow-green discharge, a red eye after an injury or something entering the eye, or redness in one eye only that is getting worse. Those can indicate infection, iritis or acute glaucoma, and a redness-relieving drop would only hide the sign.

Buy Optrex Bloodshot Eye Drops online

Bury Healthcare Online is a GPhC-registered UK pharmacy (registration 1126145). Your order is checked and dispatched by our pharmacy team, and our pharmacist can help you work out whether redness relief or a different eye treatment is what you actually need. Browse the full eye care range.

Always read the label and the patient information leaflet before use. If symptoms do not improve, speak to your pharmacist or doctor.

Medically reviewed by Hassan Khan, MPharm, Independent Prescriber — Superintendent Pharmacist, Bury Healthcare Online (GPhC-registered pharmacy 1126145). Last reviewed: July 2026.

Optrex Bloodshot Eye Drops FAQs

What do Optrex Bloodshot Eye Drops do?
They give temporary relief from the redness of minor eye irritation. Naphazoline hydrochloride 0.01% narrows the widened surface blood vessels that make the white of the eye look red, and distilled witch hazel soothes the surface. They treat the appearance of redness rather than its underlying cause.
How quickly do they work?
Naphazoline is a vasoconstrictor and works quickly – most people see the redness fade within a few minutes of the drop going in. The effect is temporary, which is why the dose can be repeated up to four times a day.
Can I use Optrex Bloodshot Eye Drops every day?
No, they are for occasional short-term use. The product information warns that continued use can itself increase redness of the eye – the vessels adapt to being constricted and then dilate wider when the drop wears off. If your eyes are red most days, get the cause looked at by a pharmacist or optometrist rather than using drops daily.
Are Optrex Bloodshot Eye Drops the same as drops for dry eyes?
No. These are a decongestant for redness. Dry eye needs a lubricant that replaces or stabilises the tear film – such as Optrex ActiMist spray, Hylo-Forte or Thealoz Duo. Using a redness drop on dry eyes treats the look of the problem and not the problem.
Can I wear contact lenses with them?
Take soft lenses out before putting the drops in, and leave at least 15 minutes before putting them back in. The drops are not designed to be used with lenses in place.
What age can use Optrex Bloodshot Eye Drops?
Adults and children over 12 years. They are not suitable for children under 12.
Will they treat conjunctivitis or an eye infection?
No. They contain no antibiotic or anti-infective and will not treat conjunctivitis. If you have a sticky yellow or green discharge, pain, light sensitivity or reduced vision, see a pharmacist, optometrist or GP – a redness drop would mask the sign without treating the cause.
Can I use them for hay fever or allergy eyes?
They are not an allergy treatment. Itchy, watery, allergic eyes need an anti-allergy drop such as sodium cromoglicate, which stabilises the mast cells releasing histamine. A decongestant may reduce the redness briefly but does nothing about the itch or the allergic response.
How long do the drops last once opened?
Discard the bottle 28 days after you first open it, even if drops remain. Sterility cannot be assured beyond that, and using an old bottle risks introducing infection.
Can I use them if I take medication for blood pressure or depression?
Do not use them if you take a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or have taken one in the past 14 days. If you have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, a thyroid disorder or depression, check with your pharmacist first – naphazoline is absorbed in small amounts and these conditions need caution.

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