What are eye drops? How to use eye drops safely for health

Eye drops are an indispensable medicine in supporting the recovery of damage and keeping the eyes healthy. But do you know how to use eye drops safely? Let Tnhelearning.edu.vn tell you what you need to know about eye drops!

What are eye drops?

Eye drops are a type of pharmaceutical preparation made from a solution of distilled water or an oil solution along with medicinal herbs that are useful for the eyes . Eye drops must always be sterile products, do not contain harmful substances and help solve eye problems.

Ingredients in eye drops may contain antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, …

What are eye drops?

Effects of eye drops

• Anti-dry, tired and itchy eyes : Contains vitamin E, vitamin B6 and vitamin A to help boost metabolism in the eyes, moisturize and fight eye fatigue.
• Eye protection, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial: Contains corticosteroids (Polydexa, Dexacol, …) with fast and strong anti-inflammatory effects and some other outstanding antibacterial ingredients such as chloramphenicol, azithromycin, tobramycin, …
• Support the treatment of eye diseases (conjunctivitis, iritis, corneal ulcers,…): Contains some active ingredients that support the healing of eye injuries such as tetracaine hydrochloride, oxybuprocaine chloride,…

Effects of eye drops

Types of popular eye drops today

Eye drops will be classified into many types with different pharmacological effects based on the patient’s eye condition:

The class of drugs that dilate the pupils

• Homatropine hydrobromide: Extracted as a 2% hydrobromide salt that has the effect of dilating the pupils. It is used during eye exams and during eye surgery.
• Tropicamide: Maintains pupil dilation for up to 7 hours and takes effect in 20 to 25 minutes. Specialized medicine for ophthalmoscopy, refractive measurement and eye surgery from small to large.

Pupil dilating drugs

Drugs that constrict the pupils

• Pilocarpine: Support to constrict the pupils, eyelids to help the drainage tubes dilate, convenient in the treatment of eye diseases such as retinal thrombosis or atrophic neuritis.
• Carbachol: Helps treat glaucoma, limit blindness and nerve damage.

Drugs that constrict the pupils

Antibacterial drug group

• Gentamicin: Indicated for patients with blepharitis, conjunctivitis, bacterial infection due to foreign body. Gentamicin works to kill bacteria that are harmful to the eyes such as streptococcus, staphylococcus, pneumococcus, etc.
• Sodium chloride: An electrolyte that helps to moisturize and compensate for mineral salts for the eyes. In addition, sodium chloride also has the effect of washing the eyes, anti-irritant and mild antiseptic for the eyes.

Antibacterial drugs

Anti-inflammatory drug group

• Corticosteroids: A superior ingredient to effectively treat inflammatory symptoms such as scleritis, uveitis, iritis,…
• Cromoglycate, Antihistamines, Diclofenac: Inhibiting symptoms of keratitis, allergic conjunctivitis without leaving side effects.

Inflammatory drugs

How to use eye drops correctly step by step

Step 1Wash hands thoroughly with soap and dry.

Step 2 Open the eye drop bottle and hold the bottle over the eye with the dropper facing the eye , 1 to 2 cm away from the eye.

Step 3 Use one hand to pull down the lower eyelid, focusing on looking upwards, and with the other hand, gently squeeze the vial to let the solution drip down.

Step 4Close your eyes slowly and lower your face to the ground for 1 to 2 minutes. In the meantime, continue to use your fingers to gently push from the eye bags to the corners of the eyes to prevent the solution from running down the nose and mouth.

Step 5 Use a dry towel or sterile paper towel to wipe off any spilled solution.

How to use eye drops correctly step by step

Do’s and Don’ts When Using Eye Drops

Things to do when using eye drops

• Consult your doctor or pharmacist about the shelf life of eye drops after opening. This will help you avoid irritation of the medicine when it expires.
• Use the eye drops in the recommended order . You should prefer to use solutions first, then suspensions or ointments.

Things to do when using eye drops

What not to do when using eye drops

• Do not let the tip of the eye drop bottle come into contact with your hands, eyes or any other object. This makes it easy for bacteria to grow in the eye drops and harm your eyes.
• Do not wear contact lenses with eye drops unless authorized by your doctor. You should wear contact lenses after at least 15 minutes of instillation.
• Do not share eye drops with others because bacteria can easily spread and cause eye problems.
• There is no need to add additional eye drops after seeing excess solution drain out . Situations like these are normal so you don’t need to worry about whether the medicine has entered or not.

What not to do when using eye drops

Wrong habits when using eye drops

• Using eye drops for a long time: We often think that the shelf life printed on the medicine is up to several years, so there is not much to worry about. But in fact it is the deadline when the lid has not been opened.
• The time for the drug to be most effective is about 15 days from the first opening: According to experts and eye doctors, if you use eye drops for more than 1 month, it will negatively affect vision. and cause unpredictable consequences for your eyes.
• Instilling too many drops: Many people are afraid that if they drop too little, the disease will take a long time to heal, so they have thought about instilling many drops at once. But doing this not only wastes eye drops but also does not bring the desired effect. According to the doctor’s recommendation, you should only instill 1 to 3 drops at a time.
• Self-use of eye drops: Eyes are an important part of our lives. Some ingredients in eye drops can cause side effects on the eyes and lead to unwanted consequences.

Therefore, you should consult with your doctor about which eye drops should be used to have bright and healthy eyes!

Wrong habits when using eye drops

Above is Tnhelearning.edu.vn’s share of what you need to know about eye drops. Hope you will find your own eye drops to own a healthy bright eyes!

Source: MEDLATEC General Hospital

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