Top tips for putting in eye drops

Just been diagnosed with glaucoma and wondering how to put your eye drops in? Our experienced ophthalmic nurse, Ann Stribblehill, has some top tips:

1. Always wash your hands before and after putting in your eye drops.
2. Shake the drop bottle well just before using.
3. Rest the eye drop bottle on the bridge of your nose and angle the tip of the bottle into the centre of the eye. This reduces the tremble in your hands.
4. Look up to the ceiling and gently pull down the lower lid. Squeeze the bottle so a drop falls into the middle of the eyelid. Some people find it easier to lie down while doing this.
5. Close the eye and quickly put your fingers gently onto your tear duct and hold for a minute or two. This gives the medication a chance to work and prevents it from draining into your nose.
6. Wipe any unabsorbed medication from your closed eye with a tissue.
7. If you have other eye medication to take, allow five minutes between the different medications otherwise one will wash the other out.
8. If you are wearing eye make-up, remove it before administering the eye drops as it will make your mascara run. This might not always be possible if you have to administer eye drops during the day, so carry a touch-up kit with you.
9. Always take your eye drops at the same time every day and at the dose recommended by your consultant.
10. Certain brands of eye medication need to be kept in the fridge. If you are going on holiday you can buy special travel cool bags for your eye drops.

If you are finding it challenging to administer the eye drops, ask a family member, friend or carer to help. While it may seem daunting at first, you will become more confident the more you practise, and putting in eye drops will soon become a natural part of your daily routine.