Imagine: you're in the middle of a game of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Everything is going fine, but suddenly your eyes start to sting, your vision gets blurry, and you risk ruining your perfect run. A disaster scenario you can easily avoid by whipping out the ultimate anti-dry-eye weapon: eye drops.
But for it to be truly effective, applying ophthalmic drops requires a few precautions and some very precise movements: we’ll reveal the procedure and the necessary tips approved by the pros, for you or your children!
In this article:
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👨🏫 Why use ophthalmic drops?
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⚠️ Putting drops in your eyes: precautions to take
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👉 How to put drops in your eyes in 9 steps (+video)
Why use ophthalmic drops?
First of all, what is eye drop solution and what is it for? All ophthalmic drops are eye medications, with different compositions for each use.
If you look in your dictionary, you will find this definition for eye drops:
"A sterile solution instilled as drops into the lower conjunctival sac to produce an effect on the eye." (Larousse)
Basically, it is an isotonic, aqueous, or oily solution with a neutral pH, designed for treating eyes and eyelids. You can find them in multi-dose bottles or single-dose pipettes.
These medications are prescribed by an ophthalmologist to treat several conditions:
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👁 Conjunctivitis: this allergic, bacterial, or viral inflammation causes redness, itching, and discharge.
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🤧 Allergies: if you suffer from allergies like hay fever, you surely know about itchy eyes and you’ve probably already been recommended eye drops.
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😭 Eye irritation: whether it's due to a foreign body or chronic irritation, you may receive a medical prescription to improve your eye hydration.
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😴 Eye fatigue: one of the many symptoms of digital eye strain is dry eyes, stinging or itching eyes, blurry vision, or excessive tearing. In addition to drops, we obviously advise you to reduce your screen exposure and protect your eyes with blue light blocking glasses.
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👀 Contact lenses and dry eyes: if you wear contact lenses and suffer from dry eyes, you're likely used to eye drops!
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🩺 Glaucoma prevention: in this case, the drops are used to reduce hypertension inside the eye.
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🧐 Before an exam such as a fundus examination, for example.
💡 Good to know:
Some eye drops are sold over-the-counter at pharmacies; however, don't hesitate to ask your pharmacist for advice to see which one is right for you.
Precautions to take
Before we even talk about the ultimate technique for applying ophthalmic drops, let's review the essential precautions for using eye drops:
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👉 Always check the expiration date on the product and remember to note the opening date on it if you use a bottle.
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👉 Pay attention to the recommended storage conditions: some eye drops should be kept in the fridge, others not.
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👉 Wash your hands before handling the product and, more generally, before touching your eyes.
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👉 Be careful not to touch the dropper tip to avoid the risk of potential contamination.
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👉 Follow your doctor's instructions and the user leaflet: number of drops, frequency, duration of treatment.
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👉 If you wear contact lenses, check that your drops are compatible.
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👉 If in doubt, contact a healthcare professional.
How to put drops in your eyes in 9 steps
For some, instilling eye drops will be a breeze; for others, the procedure can be more complicated. Indeed, just like succeeding at a QTE, putting drops in your eye requires dexterity and know-how.
Don't panic, we've put together a step-by-step tutorial for you!
➡️ First of all: choose your method
Because yes, you can choose the instillation method that suits you best: lying down with eyes closed, lying down with eyes open, standing up with your head tilted back, alone or with a teammate! We advise you to test it out to see which way you feel most comfortable applying drops.
🧼 Washing your hands
As we mentioned above, handling your eyes and the eye drops with clean hands is fundamental. Be sure to use a mild soap and a lint-free towel to dry them.
👓 Remove your contact lenses or glasses
It’s better to do this before applying drops to your eyes!
👁 If needed, clean the inner corner of your eye
If you have conjunctivitis, you may have discharge or buildup in your eye. For the treatment to work optimally, first clean the affected eye with saline solution and a sterile gauze.
🗣 Position yourself with your head tilted back
Depending on the instillation method chosen, tilt your head or lie down before applying your drops.
👇 Pull your lower eyelid down
With your index finger, gently lower your bottom eyelid and look upward.
If you prefer to apply drops while lying down with your eyes closed, change this step: in this case, you only need to place the drop(s) in the inner corner of the eye before opening it, while still lying down so the solution spreads correctly.
💧 Apply the product to your eye
Be careful not to touch the tip or let it make contact by pressing on your eyeball: a distance of 1 cm should be enough to aim correctly.
😌 Close your eye
To ensure the product spreads well over your cornea, close your eye for a few seconds.
Once again, this step does not apply if you put your drops in with your eyes closed.
👁🗨 Massage the inner corner of the eye
To improve the absorption of your drops, you can press lightly on the corner of your eye, just next to your nose, where the tear duct is located. This will prevent the solution from being washed away by your tears.
If necessary, repeat this operation on the other eye.
And there you go! A few more practice runs and you'll have perfectly mastered the "eye drop administration" skill, and you'll have developed your eye-hand coordination in the process. Don't thank us, that's what we're here for!
A quick video recap
Final word: how to put drops in your eyes
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Eye drops are used to treat an eye disease, irritation, dryness, or to prepare your eyes before an exam.
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Before putting drops in your eyes, consult the instructions and the expiration date, and make sure to follow the guidelines from your healthcare professional.
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There are several methods for administering eye drops: it's up to you to choose the one that suits you!
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If you are putting in your drops alone, you will need to wash your hands, open the bottle, tilt your head back, pull your lower eyelid down, look up, and apply a drop before closing your eye.
