Administering Eardrops, Eyedrops, and Eye Ointments
Your ears and eyes are some of the most sensitive parts of your body. Therefore, it's important to administer any medications for these areas with care.
Eardrops
Eardrops must be administered so they fill the ear canal. To use eardrops properly, tilt your head to one side, turning the affected ear upward. Grasp the earlobe and gently pull it upward (toward the top of the head) and back to straighten the ear canal.
When administering eardrops to a child younger than three years old, gently pull the child's earlobe downward (toward the shoulder) and back. Fill the dropper and place the prescribed number of drops (usually a dropperful) into the ear. Be careful to avoid touching the sides or edge of the ear canal, because the dropper can easily become contaminated by such contact.
Keep the ear tilted upward for five to ten seconds while continuing to hold the earlobe. Your doctor may want you to gently insert a small wad of clean cotton into the ear to prevent the medication from seeping out. Do not wash or wipe the dropper after use; replace it in the bottle and tightly close the bottle to keep out moisture.
Before administering eardrops, you may warm the drops to body temperature simply by rolling the container back and forth between your hands. Do not place the bottle in boiling water, however: The eardrops may become so hot that they cause pain or damage when placed in the ear. Boiling water can also cause the container's label to loosen or peel off and might even ruin the medication.
Eyedrops
Before administering eyedrops or ointments, wash your hands. Then sit or lie down and tilt your head back. Using your thumb and forefinger, gently and carefully pull your lower eyelid down to form a pouch. Hold the dropper close to your eyelid without touching it. Squeeze the prescribed amount of medicine into this pouch and slowly close your eye. Try not to blink. Keep your eye closed, and use your finger to apply slight pressure at the inner corner of the eye for a minute or two to prevent loss of medication through the duct that drains fluid from the surface of the eye.
If more than one drop per eye is prescribed, wait at least five minutes before administering the next drop. This pause helps ensure that the first drop is not flushed away by the second or that the second is not diluted by tears from the first.
When finished, wipe away any tears or excess solution from the eye area with a clean tissue. Do not wash or wipe the dropper before replacing it in the bottle -- this may contaminate the remaining medication. Close the bottle tightly.
Eye Ointments
To administer an eye ointment, squeeze a line of ointment in the prescribed amount into the pouch formed as just described for eyedrops (avoid touching the tube to your eyelid), and close your eye. Roll your eye a few times to spread the ointment.
Be sure the drops or ointments are intended for use in the eye (all products made for use in the eye must be sterilized to prevent eye infections). And check the expiration date on the label or container. Don't use a drug product after the specified date, and never use any eye product that has changed color. If it appears that your medication contains particles that weren't visible at the time of purchase, discard it.
If you prefer using liquid medications, the next section will discuss how to properly administer them externally on the skin or internally through your mouth to receive their full therapeutic effects.
