2014–2015
Eye Drops
Prescription eye drops. Your eye doctor can
What are eye drops? prescribe many kinds of eye drops for various
Eye drops are a liquid that you apply to the reasons. Here are some types of drops.
surface of your eye. They are often used to treat
eye pain, discomfort, infection or disease. There •• Corticosteroid eye drops. These eye drops
are many kinds of eye drops, from salt water are used to reduce swelling (inflammation).
drops (saline) to prescription medicines. They can be very helpful, but if used too
much can cause other serious eye problems.
Follow all of your eye doctor’s directions for
taking corticosteroid eye drops.
Different kinds of eye drops
Over-the-counter eye drops. You can get certain
•• Eye drops to treat an infection. Your
ophthalmologist may prescribe certain eye
eye drops without a doctor’s prescription. These
drops to help treat an eye infection. They
are generally used for relief from dry, red or
may be antibiotic, antiviral or antifungal
itchy eyes.
drops, depending on the type of infection.
•• Artificial tears are used to soothe irritated •• Eye drops to treat glaucoma. Glaucoma is
or dry eyes. They are made to be like when pressure from fluid in your eye damages
your natural tears. Artificial tears your optic nerve. Your optic nerve connects
without preservative chemicals in them your eye to your brain so you can see.
(preservative-free) can be used throughout Glaucoma eye drops help lower eye pressure
the day as often as needed. Artificial tears to prevent blindness.
with preservatives can be used up to about •• Anesthetic eye drops. These are used in the
6 times a day. Your eye doctor can explain doctor’s office or surgery center to numb
how to use artificial tears effectively for relief. your eye so you do not feel pain. They are
•• Decongestant eye drops include never meant to be used at home.
non-prescription medicine to help whiten
red eyes. They do this by shrinking blood
vessels in the white part of your eye. These Your eye doctor uses special eye drops to
eye drops are not harmful when used just widen (dilate) your pupil. The pupil is the
once in a while. But using them every day round, black circle you see in the center of
can make your red eyes worse when you your eye. The pupil lets light into your eye so
stop using them. you can see. Dilating your pupil allows your
eye doctor to look inside your eye.
Even though they do not require a prescription,
eye drops are medicine and can cause side
effects. Make sure you follow all directions on the
package or use them as your doctor tells you to.
If you notice any problems, call your doctor right
away. You might be having an allergic reaction to
the drops.
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Eye Drops
•• With your other hand, hold the dropper tip
How to use eye drops over your eyelid pocket. To keep your hand
Putting drops in your eyes may seem hard at steady, you may want to rest it on your face
first. But with practice, it should get much easier. or forehead.
Here are steps to take to properly use eye drops:
•• Wash your hands before you remove the cap
of the eye drop bottle. Do not touch the tip of
the dropper. This helps prevent the spread
of germs.
•• Tilt your head back slightly. The pull your
lower lid away from the eye to form a
“pocket.”
•• Look up and let the eye drop fall into the
pocket. Do not touch your eye, eyelid or
lashes with the bottle tip. Close your eyes
(but do not blink). Keep them closed for
1 minute.
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Eye Drops
•• Before opening your eyes, wipe away any
excess drops or tears with a tissue. Then Eye drop side effects
open your eyes. Like any medicine, eye drops can have side
effects or cause other health problems. The side
effects or problems depend on the type of drop
you are using. Some eye drops might make your
eyes red or cause blurry vision. Some might
make you dizzy, give you a headache or slow your
heart rate.
Call your ophthalmologist right away if you notice
any side effects when using eye drops. He or she
might prescribe another medicine or suggest
other ways to treat your eye problem. When
you talk with the ophthalmologist, make sure
to mention the name of your medicine, how
often you take it, and what type of side effects
•• If you take more than one type of eye drop you have.
medicine, wait 5 minutes between each
medicine. This allows the eye to absorb each
Even if you are having mild side effects, your
type of drop.
ophthalmologist might tell you to keep using the
•• Put the cap back on the bottle and store it in eye drops. For instance, glaucoma eye drops are
a safe place away from heat. Keep them out very important in treating this disease. You may
of reach of children and pets. have to tolerate some mild side effects from the
glaucoma drops in order to save your vision.
TIP: Avoid a dangerous eye
drop mix-up! Allergic to eye drops?
Do not store eye drops with other drops Sometimes eye drop medicines are chemical
bottles. Keep your eye drops separated from “relatives” of drugs that you may have been
ear drops, toe fungus drops or Superglue, for allergic to in the past. Be sure to tell your
example. People often grab the wrong bottle eye doctor if you have had any reactions to
by mistake, leading to serious eye injuries. medicine before.
Allergic reactions to eye drops often include
itching, swelling, or a rash around the eyes or
eyelids. Contact your ophthalmologist if you
notice these problems after starting to use
eye drops.
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Eye Drops
Summary To learn about protecting
Eye drops are a liquid you apply to the surface of healthy vision, scan this code
with your smartphone or visit
your eye. They are often used to treat eye pain,
http://sn.im/eyedrops.
discomfort, infection or disease. There are many
kinds of eye drops, from over-the-counter
products to those you need a prescription to buy.
There are specific steps to follow to put eye drops COMPLIMENTS OF:
in safely and correctly. Follow your eye doctor’s
directions for how much of the eye drops to use
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and how often to use them.
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Like any medicine, eye drops can have side
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effects. Be sure to tell your doctor about any
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to take eye drops.
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©2014 American Academy of Ophthalmology
Content last reviewed 09/14 4 of 4
