Administering Eye Drops

Have you tried to give yourself or someone else eye drops? It’s kind of a pain. You position yourself then you realize the light isn’t right and you move and you try to dole out a drop and you miss and a dribble of liquid rolls down the cheek. You reposition and re-aim and the spontaneous blinking starts. Squeeze, blink. Squeeze, blink, blink. Grrr.

I’m not a doctor. Seek professional medical advice as needed. I’ve done the eye drop thing hundreds? Thousands? Yeah, thousands of times already and it’s all muscle memory now. Here are my tips:

• Read the instructions to give the correct dosage at the correct time, storing the containers properly.
• Wash your hands. Duh.
• Tip head back slightly.
• Envision creating a pocket with your lower lid where you’ll place the liquid. Some people use the index finger to gently create a pocket, but my fingernail gets in the way. I use my index finger and middle finger in a V (sort of like Posh Spice then rotate), placing fingers knuckle-side first to my eye area–index finger to lower lid and middle finger to upper lid, gently bracing lids. This stops upper eye lashes from interfering, allows lower lid to pocket, and keeps fingernails out of the danger zone. Corneal scratches are no joke.
• With the other hand, hover the bottle above the eye, aiming for the pocket and evenly squeeze the bottle.
• Take your time. If you miss, try again.
• Once liquid falls into the pocket, close eyelid for a few moments before blinking.
• If you need to administer multiple meds, wait between doses as prescribed.
• Rewash hands.

Do you use eye drops? Share your thoughts.

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