Eye Drops: Benefits and Uses

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Can eye drops treat glaucoma?

Eye drops can treat a range of eye problems. For instance, you may use prescription eye drops from your doctor to treat an infection, a minor eye injury, or a condition such as glaucoma. Or, you may use over-the-counter eye drops to relieve dry or red eyes.

What are eye drops used for?

Eye drops are a key part of your ophthalmologist’s tool kit. Some of the common eye drops you might encounter are: Steroid eye drops to treat severe inflammation (swelling, redness, irritation). These eye drops should be taken carefully under your doctor's supervision. How often should I use eye drops?

Are eye drops safe?

Eye drops have less of a risk of side effects than do oral medicines, and such risk can be minimized by occluding the lacrimal punctum (i.e. pressing on the inner corner of the eye) for a short while after instilling drops.

Do eye drops contain saline?

Eye drops usually contain saline to match the salinity of the eye. Drops containing only saline and sometimes a lubricant are often used as artificial tears to treat dry eyes or simple eye irritation such as itching or redness. Eye drops may also contain one or more medications to treat a wide variety of eye diseases.

How do you use eye drops?

Squeeze one drop into the pocket formed by pulling down the lower eye lid (see figure 1). Try not to touch your eye, eye lashes or anything else with the dropper tip. Figure 1 shows where you should put the eye drop. Let go of the eye lid and continue leaning your head backwards for a couple of minutes. This allows the drops to absorb properly.

How many drops are in a tube of eye drops?

Each tube holds the equivalent of a 1 minim unit of medication, which is around 60 microlitres. When applying eye drops, ask the patient to tilt their head backwards slightly. Pull on the lower eyelid gently and squeeze the tube until one drop has been dispensed. Keep in mind that each minim can hold up to 10 drops!

What are the different types of eye drops?

There are a number of formulations for liquid drops including but not limited to hyaluronic acid, saline and polyethylene glycol. The selection of which drop to prescribe can be tricky as such a huge variety exist. However, these drops all serve the same purpose which is ultimately to keep the surface of the eye hydrated.

What Is Eye Drops

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_drop
2. https://www.allaboutvision.com/en-gb/buysmart/eye-drops/
3. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dry-eyes/
4. https://www.healthline.com/health/eye-health/how-to-use-eye-drops

Eye Drops Information

1. https://geekymedics.com/eye-drops-overview/
2. https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/mediaLocal/i21m3rba/how-to-use-your-eye-drops.pdf
3. https://www.dgft.nhs.uk/leaflet/administering-eye-drops/
4. https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/patients/resources/eye-drops/
5. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/treatments/eye-drops-kinds-recommendations
6. https://www.drugs.com/cdi/eye-drops.html
7. https://bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-summaries/eye/