Please, stop putting eye drops in your eyeballs!

Eye drops moisturize the dry eyes of modern people and are also very important for treating eye diseases. However, many people are not very good at using them.

What should I do if the eye drops never get into my eyes? This article will introduce the most practical tips for easy eye drops.

01

Tip: Target “small pockets”

The key to easy eye drops is: don't aim directly at the eyeball.

Although it is not an absolute taboo, letting the medicine hit the surface of the eyeball directly can easily irritate the eyes and is more likely to cause a blink reflex when dripping, leading to failure.

A better approach is to target the conjunctival sac, which is the space between the eyelid and the eyeball.

Pinch your lower eyelid with your hands and gently pull it down, so that a "small pocket" will be formed between the lower eyelid and the eyeball - just drop the eye drops here.

The conjunctival sac is the correct place to put eye drops. Image source: nursing411

02

What should we do specifically?

Standard operating instructions for using eye drops can be found on many medical websites.

They usually write:

Use the thumb and index finger of one hand to pinch the lower eyelid and pull down to create a "small pocket". Hold the medicine bottle with the other hand and aim the nozzle at the top of the "small pocket". Look up and drop a drop of medicine into the "pocket".

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But this is not what I would recommend most.

Because it is not easy to aim when you are alone.

If you have trouble putting the eye drops in accurately and can't find anyone to help you, here is a proven, less error-prone method (with the entire process):

1. Find a small mirror that you can hold up with one hand.

2. Wash your hands.

3. Tilt your head back or lie down against something

4. Hold the medicine bottle with your dominant hand. Use your thumb, index finger, and middle finger to pinch the medicine bottle, and use your ring finger and little finger to pull down the eyelid to expose the conjunctival sac "small pocket".

5. Hold up the small mirror with your other hand and adjust your position in front of the mirror.

6. Position the drip tip just above the "small pocket" and don't aim directly at the eyeball.

7. The nozzle should be suspended in the air and should not touch eyes, skin or hands.

8. Just look at the mirror, no need to look upwards

9. Squeeze a drop of medicine into the "pocket", release your hand and close your eyelids, wait for a few minutes with your eyes closed before blinking.

One-handed operation frees up the other hand to hold the mirror, making aiming easier. Source: Internet

03

Can it be simpler?

Directing the drops into the conjunctival sac rather than the eyeball can greatly reduce irritation, but some people have very sensitive eyes and may still have difficulty with this.

There is no need to worry about this situation. Here is the simplest alternative, which is also suitable for children:

1. Wash your hands and clean the skin around your eyes

2. Tilt your head back or lie down

3. Put the eye drops into the inner corner of the eye (close the eye on which you are putting the drops)

4. Blink slowly to allow the solution to flow into your eyes, then close your eyes for a few minutes

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To minimize contamination, remember to wash your face first to ensure the skin around your eyes is clean, and still do not let the dropper come into direct contact with your skin.

To ensure that enough medicine enters the eye, you can add a few more drops when using this method.

It’s okay to waste a little, just wipe it off with a tissue.

04

After dripping, press

After putting eye drops in, you may sometimes taste the bitter taste of the medicine in your throat. This is because the nasolacrimal duct connects the eyes and nose; tears and medicine will flow down into the nasal cavity through this duct, and the nasal cavity and oral cavity are also connected at the back.

This situation is actually very easy to avoid - just use your fingers to gently press the inner corner of your eye for 1-2 minutes after putting in the eye drops.

The opening of the nasolacrimal duct is located just at the inner corner of the eye, and squeezing can temporarily close the duct.

Closing the nasolacrimal duct also has the benefit of reducing the side effects of eye drops.

Gently press the inner corner of the eye to prevent eye drops from flowing into the nose

Source: Internet

05

What else should I pay attention to when using eye drops?

1. Just one drop

The space between the eyeball and the eyelid is very small and can only hold about 30 microliters of fluid at most, so one drop of medicine is enough to fill it up.

As long as you are sure that the drop has entered the eye, there is no need to add another drop.

If you are using more than one eye drop, also remember to wait at least 5 minutes after adding the first before adding the next.

2. Beware of pollution

Wash your hands before using eye drops, and do not let the nozzle touch any part of the skin during use to prevent bacterial contamination.

To be on the safe side, it's best not to share a bottle of eye drops with other people.

3. Throw away expired items

Eye drops have a very short shelf life after opening. Even with preservatives, they can usually only be kept for a maximum of one month.

Remember to read the instructions to confirm the shelf life and stop using it immediately after the expiration date.

4. Remove your contact lenses

Don't use eye drops while wearing contact lenses - unless they are a product designed specifically for contact lenses.

The components of the drug solution may be adsorbed and accumulated on the contact lenses, causing damage to the eyes or lenses.

Remember to remove your contact lenses before using the medication and wait 15 minutes after using the medication before wearing them again.

References:

[1] https://patient.info/news-and-features/how-to-use-eye-drops

[2] https://www.aao.org/eye-health/treatments/how-to-put-in-eye-drops

[3] https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/how-to-use-eye-drops-properly

[4] https://www.micheleleemd.com/blog/how-to-put-in-eyedrops

Source: Guokr

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