Four Steps to Getting Eye Drops in More Easily

Recently, my husband (who is still blessed with 20/20 vision, even in his forties) needed to put in some eye drops to prevent contracting a bad case of conjunctivitis that he knew he had been exposed to. But getting those medicine drops in… that was more challenging than he expected.

For those who don’t wear contact lenses or ever need to put anything in your eyes on a regular basis, putting in eye drops can be a big challenge. It’s uncomfortable to navigate around your eye in that unfamiliar way and to figure out how and where to put the medicine in so it works effectively.

So what is the best way to get an eye drop into your actual eye if you are new to the process? Here are some tips:

1. Lie Down Flat. The first thing you want to do if you are trying to get eye drops in your eyes properly is to lie on your back. If you are a novice, standing up and trying to get drops in will probably lead to a lot of liquid missing your actual eye ball.
2. Pull Lower Lid. The second thing you want to do is focus on getting the drops in to the lower side of your eye. Trying to point something right at your cornea will probably force you to blink at the wrong time and miss the drop. Instead, gently pull down on your lower lid so you can point the bottle’s tip that direction.
3. Don’t Get Bottle Too Close. You’ll want to keep the drops bottle about one inch from your eye. Too far away and you are sure to miss the mark, but get too close and you are sure to transfer bacteria from the bottle (and possibly irritate your eye even more)!
4. Drop and Close. Release the drop into the lower part of your eyeball and then release your lid so the drop can actually get in there. Then, gently close your eye and try to leave it closed for at least one minute. Excessive blinking right after you insert the drop could yield in losing most of the medication through your tears. Some experts even recommend keeping the lid closed for a full two minutes and keeping your finger pressed gently on the inside corner of the eye (next to nose) to stop any liquid from coming out.

If you have any questions or problems inserting your prescribed eye drops, be sure to ask your closest America’s Best optometrist for help!