subject: How To Properly Use And Apply Eye Drops [print this page] Regardless of whether you are buying medicated or non-medicated eye drops, you are required to properly use and apply them if you want your condition to improve and be cured. Many people are quite naive in their use of drops that you sometimes hear them complain of having bought an ineffective and useless drug, and rant about it on many different consumer websites.
Whilst we cannot speak for all drops out in the market today, one of the common reasons why we do not get the results we were hoping for is because of incorrect use of drops. This article aims to educate you on the proper ways to use them so that you can get rid of your eye problem in the soonest time possible.
Before anything else, know that your hands should be clean and sanitised before you even open the lid of your drops. The hands can easily carry bacteria and germs, and if you fail to wash them, the drops might get contaminated. Wash with soap for about thirty seconds and rinse thoroughly. Once done, sit in front of a mirror, to get started.
The Five Steps
Step 1: Shake the bottle for a few seconds especially if it is a suspension to ensure that all the particles are mixed uniformly.
Step 2: Check your eyes to see if there is any dirt or discharge. If these are present, use a clean tissue or wipes to remove them. These substances could hinder the effectiveness of the drops.
Step 3: Take the lid off, pull down your lower eyelid, and put the required number of drops onto the eye. The label of your eye drops would usually determine the number of drops to be applied to the eye. If you are applying it to your left eye, use the fingers on your left hand to pull down the eyelid, and use your right hand to do the same to your right eye.
Step 4: Close your eyes for thirty seconds to ensure that the solution gets distributed and absorbed by your eye tissues. Wipe any excess liquid that goes outside the eyelids.
Step 5: Close the lid of the drops tightly and store it in a cool place. Be careful not to touch the tip of the dropper so as to avoid any contamination. When bacteria and germs get into the drops, it would affect the effectiveness of the drug, and might even trigger the onset of infections, as the bacteria could get into your eyes.
Final Note
Using eye drops can treat eye problems effectively but only if you are able to buy the correct drops for your condition. It is for this reason that you need correct diagnosis, because unless you know what the real problem is, you might not be able to get the right treatment. What you can do is to consult with an eye doctor so that your condition can be evaluated. If that is not possible, you can do your own research online. List-down the symptoms that you have felt and noticed, and from there, you can check the information available on the Internet, which will hopefully pinpoint the right condition. There are many doctors who participate in forums so you can also try to ask questions from them as well.
