Taking eyedrops

One of the most difficult things for a low vision patient to do is to take prescribed eye drops. The eye drops end up all over the place. 

We recommend a number of steps to make taking eye drops easier and more efficient. The first thing we is to refrigerate     the eyedrops if possible. The cold drop of medication is a very good indication that the drop actually went into the eye. Next the person taking the eyedrop medicine should lie down or sit down with their head back while taking drops. That way his/her head is in a relatively stationary position. When taking the eyedrop, it is helpful to pull down the lower eyelid. That way drops can be “caught” more easily.

One technique is to use the bridge of the nose as a landmark to position the eye drop bottle. There are some inexpensive aids that also can make a real difference. One is a pretty ingenious dispenser the Autodrop Eyedrop Guide ($4.95). The medicine bottle is inserted into this dispenser which positions the eyedrop bottle the exact right location over the eye. Another aid, the Autosqueeze Eye Drop Bottle Squeezer, helps arthritic hands grip tiny bottles ($4.95). The medicine bottle is placed into a plastic sleeve that holds the bottle. This sleeve is easy to hold and squeeze. Gently squeezing the plastic sleeve will release just the right number of drops. 

There are some other tips. Eyedrop bottles come in different colors. Knowing the color bottle can help identify which eyedrop should be taken in the morning and which one in the evening. Some medications need two drops. For those, we recommend that those bottles be marked with two bump dots.

Taking eyedrops can really be challenging. The combination of good technique and adaptive equipment can make things much easier.