How to use your eyedrops
A wise man once said, “practice makes perfect.” Another wise man countered that by saying “no, practice makes permanent.”
Dear readers,
Time and again I come across patients who still do not know how to use their eyedrops correctly. Healing is 10% doctor and 90% patient. So let’s talk about using your eye drops correctly.
Eye drops come as suspensions or sterile solutions. They work directly on the eye.
They are free from bacteria (sterile) before they’re opened. Once they’re opened, here are some things you should know –
- It is advisable not to let anyone else use your eyedrops, and not to use anyone else’s eyedrops
- The drops should be kept out of children’s reach
- It is a good idea to store the drops in a cool, dark place unless otherwise specified
- To keep the drops safe from bacteria, don’t let the dropper or its nozzle touch anything else – such as your fingers, eye, skin, etc.
- Throw out the bottle and get a new one after it has expired. The expiry date is usually about four weeks after opening it.
- If you feel as if you can taste the drops running down your throat, don’t be alarmed. This is natural as the tear duct draining tears to your nose will contain some of the eye drops.
- To prevent this press the area between your inner eyelids and your nose. This is important for breastfeeding mothers.
- Some eye drops can cause irritation for a while. It is rare for people to be allergic to eyedrops, but not impossible. If the problem persists, contact your ophthalmologist.
Using eye drops correctly can save you time, hassle and pain. If you use the appropriate technique, you can administer eye drops both comfortably and efficiently.
Follow the advice given above, and you should increase the effectiveness of your eye drops, enhance healing and avoid the spread of disease. In the next article, we will discuss how to instill the drops correctly.
Remember healing is 10% doctor and 90% patient. Practice makes permanent
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