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One of the most misunderstood practices in ophthal-
mology is the way drops are instilled in the eye.
Eye drops do not have the ability to permeate the skin,
so there is no therapeutic result when instilling drops
around the eye or on the eyelashes.
In order for the medication to act, it has to be instilled
between the lid and the globe (fornix) by pulling the
lower lid downwards so it can be absorbed by the ves-
sels.
It is pointless to instill more than 1-2 drops because
the eye can only intake the volume of one drop. The
excess drops will roll over like tears to the cheek, which
needs to be avoided since certain drops are irritants to
the skin.
After instillation, keep the eye lightly closed for 2 min-
utes to maximize effectiveness.
The whole procedure must take place with clean hands
and the cap from the bottle must also be placed in a
clean area.
If more than one type of drops are prescribed, they
should be instilled 5-10 minutes apart, as an immedi-
ate installa-
tion will wash
away the first
drop before it
is absorbed.
Eye
drops
and
oint-
ments are in-
stilled inside
the lower lid
fornix. Look
upwards and
with your fin-
ger pull down
your lower lid
to instill the
medication in
the formed
sac.
Do you use drops for glaucoma, or any
other eye disease? Are you sure that you
are instilling them properly?
Eye drops and creams are instilled in the
lower lid fornix. Gaze upwards and with
your finger pull the skin directly bellow
the lower lid and instill the treatment in
the gap provided (fornix).
