WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT INSTILLING EYE DROPS

"Oh please! How hard caninstilling eye drop possibly be?" 

Most definitely at one time or the other, we must have used an eye drop and we either applied it ourselves or got someone else to do it, hence we ask the above question.  I will tell you the story which inspired this piece and I am sure it will make you see the importance.

I saw a patient some time ago with swollen red eye. She had used an eye drop but got no improvement, rather it was getting worse. After examination, it was found that she had bacterial conjunctivitis and the eye drop she had used was actually the right eye drop. 

Further questioning revealed that she had used a needle (non-sterile) to open the eye drop.
This little action rendered that eye drop ineffective and this is because microorganisms from the needle contaminated the eye drop and introduced more microorganisms into the eye aggravating the infection.

This is just one of the many things you probably never knew about using eye drops. 

Did you know that…….?

To open your eye drop for the first time, just press the cap tightly then open. This punctures a hole in the tip of the dropper. However, if this does not work, use a new needle (new syringe needle) to puncture a hole on the tip.

Drops should always be put inside the lower eyelid and not on the cornea (the transparent tissue covering the dark part of the eye).

You should not touch the tip of the bottle with your fingers, or let it touch your eye during instillation to prevent contamination.

In cases where the eye drop is a suspension, you should shake the bottle before use.

Some (but not all) eye drops need to be stored in the fridge. Always ask your doctor about the mode of storage.

Contact lenses should be removed before instilling eye drops except for re-wetting drops. This is because some eye drops contain substances that are absorbed by the contact lens, which can cause adverse reactions in the eye.

10 simple steps in instilling eye drop

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
• Wipe your eyes with a clean tissue to clear any residual discharge (in cases of infection)
• Tilt your head backwards, pull your lower lid downwards to form a pocket and look upwards.
• Hold the dropper or bottle with your other hand above the eye and gently squeeze one drop into the pocket made by the lower eyelid. Take care not touch the eye or eyelashes with the tip of the bottle. This is to prevent microorganisms from the eye from getting into the eye drop and contaminating it.
• Close your eye for 2 to 3 minutes and tip your head down as though looking at the floor. Do not to blink or squeeze your eyelids.                                          
• Place a finger on the tip of the eye close to the nose (tear duct) and apply gentle pressure. This reduces the amount of the drug that gets into the tear duct; reducing systemic absorption.
• Wipe away any excess liquid with a clean tissue.

• If you have more than one drop to put in, or are using more than one type of eye drop, wait about ten minutes before putting the next drop in. This is to ensure that the second drop does not wash away the first.
• Replace and tighten the cap on the dropper bottle. Do not wipe or rinse the dropper tip.
• Wash your hands once again, to remove any medication.

Instilling eye drops is truly not difficult but there are some little ‘dos’ and 'don’ts' associated with its use as you have seen above.

If you did ask that initial question, -‘Oh please! How hard can instilling eye drop possibly be?’ 

I hope you had an interesting read and have picked up a few new tips on the proper use of eye drops.