Imagine, you are playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. So far, so good, but now your eyes are starting to sting, your vision is getting blurry and you're taking the risk of shooting your perfect run. A catastrophic scenario that you can easily avoid by drawing the fatal weapon against dry eyes: eye drops .
But for it to be really effective, putting eye drops requires a few precautions and very specific gestures: we reveal the procedure to follow and the necessary advice approved by the pros, for you or your children!
In this article :
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👨🏫 Why put eye drops?
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⚠️ Putting drops in the eye: precautions to take
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👉 How to put eye drops in 9 steps (+video)
Why put eye drops?
First of all, what is eye drops and what is it used for? Eye drops are all eye drops, of different composition for each use.
If you open your dictionary, you will find this definition for eye drops :
" sterile solution instilled as drops into the inferior conjunctival cul-de-sac to produce an effect on the eye." (Larousse)
Basically, it is an isotonic solution, aqueous or oily, with a neutral pH, designed for the treatment of the eyes and eyelids. You can find them in multi-dose vials or single-dose pipettes.
These drugs are prescribed by an ophthalmologist for the treatment of several pathologies:
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👁 conjunctivitis: this allergic, bacterial or viral inflammation causes redness, itching and flow.
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🤧 allergies: if you suffer from allergies such as hay fever, you probably know itchy eyes and you have probably already been recommended eye drops.
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😭 eye irritation: whether it's due to the presence of a foreign body or chronic irritation, we can give you a medical prescription to improve the hydration of your eyes.
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😴 Eye fatigue: one of the many symptoms of digital eye strain is dry eyes, itchy, itchy eyes, blurred vision or even excessive tearing. In addition to the drops, we obviously advise you to reduce your exposure to screens and protect your eyes with anti-blue light glasses.
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👀 Contact lenses and dry eyes : if you wear contact lenses and suffer from dry eyes, you're probably a regular eye drops!
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🩺 prevention of glaucoma: in this case, eye drops are used to reduce hypertension inside the eye.
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🧐 Before an exam like an eye background, for example.
💡 Namely:
Some eye drops are sold without a prescription in pharmacies, however, do not hesitate to ask your pharmacist for advice to find out which one is right for you.
The precautions to take
Before even talking to you about the ultimate technique for putting on eye drops, let's take stock of the essential precautions for using eye drops:
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👉 Always respect the expiration date on the product and remember to note the opening date on it if you use a bottle.
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👉 Pay attention to the recommended storage conditions : some eye drops go in the fridge, others don't.
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👉 Wash your hands before handling the product and, more generally, touching your eyes.
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👉 Be careful not to touch the dropper tip to avoid possible contamination.
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👉 Follow your doctor's instructions and instructions for use: number of drops, frequency, duration of treatment.
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👉 If you wear contact lenses, check that your drops are compatible.
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👉 If in doubt, contact a health professional.
How to put eye drops in 9 steps
For some, the instillation of eye drops will be child's play, for others the procedure may be more complicated. Indeed, as for a successful QTE, putting drops in your eye requires dexterity and know-how .
Don't panic, we've put together a step-by-step tutorial for you!
➡️ Above all: choose your method
Because yes, you can choose the instillation mode that suits you best: lying down with your eyes closed, lying down with your eyes open, standing with your head backwards, alone or accompanied by a teammate! We advise you to test before knowing with which way of putting drops you feel most comfortable.
🧼 Hand washing
As we said above, handling your eyes and eye drops with clean hands is fundamental. Be careful to use a mild soap and a lint-free towel to dry them.
👓 Take off your contact lenses or glasses
It's still better to do it before applying drops in your eyes!
👁 If necessary, clean the inner corner of your eye
If you have conjunctivitis, you may have discharge or a deposit in your eye. For the treatment to work optimally, first clean the affected eye with saline solution and a sterile compress.
🗣 Sit your head back
Depending on the method of instillation chosen, tilt your head or lie down before putting in your drops.
👇 Pull your lower eyelid down
With your index finger, gently lower your lower eyelid and look up.
If you prefer to put the drops lying down with your eyes closed, modify this step: in this case you only have to deposit the drop(s) in the inner corner of the eye before opening it, always lying down so that the eye drops is distributed correctly.
💧 Place the product in your eye
Be careful not to touch the tip or put it in contact by putting pressure on your eyeball: a distance of 1 cm should be enough to aim well.
😌 close your eyes
So that the product is well distributed on your cornea, close your eye for a few seconds.
Again, this step does not apply if you are applying your drops with your eyes closed.
👁🗨 Massages the inner corner of the eye
To improve the absorption of your drops, you can press lightly in the corner of your eye, just next to your nose, where the tear duct is located. You will then prevent the eye drops from being evacuated by your tears.
If necessary, repeat this operation on the other eye.
And There you go ! A few more workouts and you will perfectly master the skill "administering eye drops" and you will have developed your hand-eye coordination . Don't thank us, that's what we're here for!
Short video recap
The final word: how to put drops in your eyes
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The eye drops are used to treat eye disease, irritation, dry eyes or to prepare your eyes before an examination.
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Before putting drops in the eyes, consult the instructions and the expiry date, be sure to follow the instructions of your healthcare professional.
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There are several methods for administering eye drops in the eye: it's up to you to choose the one that suits you!
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If you put your drops alone, you will need to wash your hands, open the bottle, tilt your head back, pull your lower eyelid down, look up and put a drop before closing your eye.
