How To Insert Eyedrops

Inserting eyedrops may seem difficult at first but becomes easier with practice. It is important to remember that all medicines have side effects. Surprisingly, even the small amount of medication in an eyedrop can create significant side effects in other parts of the body. There are ways to decrease the absorption of the eyedrop into the system, and to increase the time the eyedrop is on the eye, making the medicine more safe and effective.

To put in an eyedrop:

1. Tilt the head back, then create a pocket in front of the eye by pulling the lower lid down with an index finger or gently pinch the lower lid outward with the thumb and index finger.
2. Let the drop fall into the pocket without touching your eye or eyelid (to prevent contamination of the bottle).
3. Immediately after instilling the drop, squeeze the bridge of your nose for two to three minutes with your thumb and forefinger. This prevents most of the drop from traveling down the tear duct to the rest of the body. We can show you how to do this. Keep your eyes closed for three to five minutes after instilling the drop.
4. Before opening your eyes, dab unabsorbed drops and tears from the closed lids with a tissue.  

Because the volume of a single drop exceeds the capacity of the surface of the eye, it serves no purpose to use two drops at the same time. However, it is not dangerous if you end up dropping in a few drops at a time instead of just one. It is helpful to refrigerate the drops if you find that you are unable to tell whether or not the drops actually landed in your eyes.

If you still have trouble putting drops in your eyes, commercial devices are available that may be helpful. Ask us for more details.

If you are taking two different types of eyedrops, wait at least five minutes before instilling the second drop.