How to Put in Eye Drops or Ointment.
John Lipchak, OD for Eye Drop Hero: Blog# 5:
As an Eye Doctor For 30 Years, I Constantly Hear Patients Say That They HATE Taking Eye Drops. They Can’t Hold the Bottle in The Right Place And/or The Drop Doesn’t Go Where They Want. There Are 3 Ways I Tell My Patients to Put Drops in Their Or Someone Else’s Eyes. My Favorite Is the Closed Eye Method. I Didn’t Make This Method Up, You Can Google It on the “Glaucoma Research Foundation” Website Among Others.
See Blog #4 About Why You Should Keep Your Eye Closed After Putting in A Drop! All 3 Of These Methods Can Done Using My Eye Drop Hero Device to Hold the Bottle for You. It’s Easier to Put Drops in When You Tilt Your Head Back or Lay Down. It’s Important to Not Let the Tip of The Bottle Touch Your Eye or Skin Because Bacteria, Etc., Can Get into The Bottle and Cause New Infections, Etc. I Recommend Throwing Away Any Eye Drop Bottle That’s Been Open For 1 Month. Wait 5 Minutes Before Putting Another Drop in The Same Eye (You Don’t Want to Wash the First Drop Away).
Closed Eye Method: Close Eyes. Place the Drop in The Inner Corner of Your Eyelid (The Side Closest to Your Nose). Open Your Eye and Blink 3 Times Gravity Should Pull the Drop into The Eye.
Open Eye: Place the Drop on The Eye. This Method Is My Least Favorite Because the Eye Is Very Sensitive and Will React Violently When the Drop Lands on The Surface.
Open Eye: Pull Down Your Lower Lid to Make A Pocket for The Drop to Land In. Look Up When Squeezing the Drop in So the Upper Eyelid Is Out of The Way. Most Eye Doctors Use This Method.
For Ointments, I Tell My Patients:
Wash Your Hands. Put About ¼ An Inch of Ointment on The Tip of Your Finger. Pull Down Your Lower Eyelid with A Different Finger. Place the Finger with The Ointment Above the Edge of The Eyelid (Above Eyelashes) And Pulling Downward (Like Scraping Something Gross Off Your Finger) The Ointment Will Be Scraped Off onto The Inside Part of The Eyelid. No Fingernails Involved! Because the Eyelid Is A Tight Blanket Around the Eye, The Ointment Will Spread Out Over the Eye When You Close.
Most Drops Can Be Refrigerated Which Reduces Stinging and It’s Easier to Feel the Drop Go In. Ask Your Doctor or Pharmacist.
Most Red Eyes Are Treated with Drops, But Many Patients Hate Taking Drops. That’s Why I Developed Eye Drop Hero to Hold the Bottle for You and Let You Decide Where the Drop Goes.
Ask Your Eye Doctor About the Topics Discussed in This Blog. Remember to Have Annual Eye Exams Because Some Eye Diseases Have No Symptoms (i.e. Glaucoma).