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Tips For Using Your Glaucoma Eye Drops

24 October 2017 by Ross Martin

About 40% of all individuals with glaucoma do not take their medication as intended. This leads to a serious and untreated eye condition, and this can cause serious issues down the road. If you have a current prescription for glaucoma eye drops, then there are a few tips you can use to make sure the drops are used effectively to treat your condition. 

Keep The Drops Sanitary

There are some side effects associated with glaucoma eye drops that include burning and itching sensations. These sensations can make the drops slightly unpleasant. If you inadvertently force debris into your eye at the same time, then this can greatly exacerbate the side effects. Debris can accumulate on the tip of the eye drop container if you place it too close to your eye. If you touch the eye, then bacteria can also infiltrate the tip and start to multiply. This can lead to eye infections and an increase in negative sensations. 

To avoid an increase in soreness and itching, keep the dropper as sanitary as possible. Watch your hands with soap and water and also use an alcohol swab to wipe the tip of the dropper. Use your hand to pull the bottom eyelid away from the face a small amount. Hold the eyedropper tip just above the eyelid and drop the medicine in the small pocket made by the eyelid. Make sure that the dropper does not touch your eye in the process.

Close Your Eyes

Most people will feel the stinging and burning sensations brought on by the eyedrops and they will blinky continuously until the sensations subside. However, blinking is your body's natural response to a foreign object in the eye. Blinking will merely move the medicine around the eye. It will not help to reduce your discomfort. 

Instead of blinking, close your eyes immediately after squeezing the drops in your eyes. This will help with several things. If you close your eyes and use your hands to gently rub or press on the eyes, then the burning and stinging sensations will soon subside. Also, by closing your eyes, you allow the medicine to penetrate your eye. This is necessary for the medication to work properly to treat your glaucoma. 

If your prescription says that you need two drops for each eye, then you should also spread out the insertion of each drop by about five to ten minutes. This can reduce the pain and also ensure that your eyes are receiving the proper dose of medication. 

Talk to a company like Coastal Eye Care to learn more.

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