We’re hard wired to protect our eyes from foreign objects, so it makes sense eye drops can cause anxiety. A big part of the problem is technique. There’s a few different ways to put in eye drops, none of which involve dropping liquid directly onto your eye!

Before You Start

First things first, you should always wash your hands before you begin and you should know how and when to use your drops. Hopefully your doctor or pharmacist has covered this but if not, check out the instructions on the bottle. Also, unless your doctor has told you otherwise, take out your contact lenses if you have them.  Next give the eye drops a good shake. When you’re ready, go ahead and remove the cap, and be sure not to touch the tip of the dropper.

The Right Way

Lie down or tilt your head back for this part. You can focus on a fan, light, or just a spot on the ceiling if that helps. Next pull your lower eyelid away from the eye to form a little pouch. Take care to not touch the dropper to your eye or eyelid, and hold it over the pouch you’ve just made. Gently squeeze the bottle until the drop falls into your eyelid pouch. Now close your eyes and gently press on your tear ducts for a minute or two so the drop has time to absorb into your eye. Done! Remember to wash your hands after.

Pro-tip: if your doctor or pharmacist says it’s okay, try keeping the drops in the fridge. This makes it easier to tell if your drop landed where it was supposed to!

The Other Right Way
If you’re feeling a bit nervous about all this, there’s another method you might find helpful. Start as before, but this time hold the bottle between your thumb and first two fingers. Stabilize by placing your other fingers on your nose. Position the bottle just above the corner of your eye near your nose and squeeze out a drop. Now open your eyes and blink repeatedly until the liquid rolls into your eye. Close your eyes and gently press those tear ducts for a minute or two. Presto!

The WRONG Way

Most people’s knee jerk reaction to drops is from the mistaken assumption you’re supposed to place drops directly onto the eye. There’s no need for that! And as mentioned before, be sure to not touch the dropper, nor touch the dropper to your eye or eyelid. This prevents bacteria from getting into your eye.

Additional Tips

• 
  Taking more than one type of drop?  Wait 3 to 5 minutes between each kind.
• Still having a tough time? Ask for someone to help you place the drops or ask your doctor if an eye drop assistance device might work for you.
• If you’re helping someone else, be clear about what you’re doing and what to expect. Some drops may sting a bit for example!

We hope this simple guide helps ease your eye drop aversion. Remember to stay calm, take it slow, and ask for help if you need it! You’ll be a pro in no time. As always, we’re here to help with all your eye care needs. Give us a call or send us an email if you have any questions or need to schedule an appointment.