Many people haven’t been taught how to put the drops in their eyes correctly, leading to wasted product.
Happily, they’re simple to apply if you follow these basic steps: • Wash your hands, shake the bottle of drops vigorously and, if necessary, remove your contact lenses. • While sitting, standing or lying down, tilt your head back so your face is parallel with the ceiling. • Use your index finger to gently pull down your lower eyelid, creating a small pocket. • Look up. • Gently squeeze one drop into the pocket of your lower eyelid, making sure the tip of the bottle doesn’t come into contact with your eye or face. • Close your eye and keep it closed for one minute without blinking. • Repeat for the other eye. If you’re still struggling with getting the drops in your eyes and not on your cheeks, practise with artificial tears. This will allow you to learn the technique without wasting any of your medicated eyedrops. If you’ve been prescribed more than one drop In some cases, you may be prescribed more than one drop. In this case, it’s important to wait at least five minutes before administering the other set of eyedrops. This prevents the first drops from being diluted by the second. Your optometrist will tell which order to apply your drops in. Tips for making it easier Are you still having trouble putting drops in your eyes? If so, here are some solutions to common problems. • You have shaky hands. Try resting the side of your hand on your face to steady it. • The drops aren’t going in. With your head turned to the side, close your eyes and put a drop in the inner corner of your eye. Open your eye slowly, and the drop should fall into place. • You have trouble holding the bottle. If the bottle is too small for you to get a good grip on it, consider wrapping it in a paper towel. This will make the bottle wider and easier to hold. Comprehensive eye care If you’re concerned about dry eyes or wondering if you need eyedrops for some other reason, talk to an optometrist from Optometrists’ Clinic. We’re happy to help you find the right solution to your problem and can even assist you in learning how to correctly administer your eyedrops properly. Call us today to make appointment.