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Video: How to put in eye drops

By Tonya Stumphauzer; reviewed by Gary Heiting, OD

Eye drops bring relief if you have allergies, red eyes, dry eyes and so more, but easing your discomfort requires putting in eye drops correctly.

Is there a wrong way to put in eye drops? Yes. You don’t want eye drops running out of your eye and down your face. That’s messy.

And it’s expensive. Prescription eye drops – even over-the-counter eye drops – are costly. Putting in eye drops the wrong way isn’t just wasteful – it’s hitting you in your wallet.

So, what is the right way to put in eye drops?

Follow these 10 steps to put in your eye drops correctly:

1. Wash your hands with soap and water. Then dry your hands with a clean towel.

2. If you are wearing contact lenses, remove them. The only exception is if you are using eye drops that are specifically formulated to re-moisten your contacts or if your doctor advised you to use the drops in this manner.

3. Either lie down or tilt your head back, and look up at the ceiling. Concentrate on a point on the ceiling, keeping your eye wide open.

4. Use your fingers to keep more of the eye drop in your eye. How to do this? Place one or two fingers on your face about an inch below your eye; gently pull down to create a pocket between your lower eyelid and your eyeball.

5. Hold the bottle close to your eye (about an inch away). Be careful not to let the dropper touch your eye or eyelashes, since this can introduce bacteria and other organisms into the eye drops in the bottle.

6. Squeeze lightly to place one drop inside your lower eyelid.

7. Remove your hands from your face, gently close your eyes and tilt your head down for a few seconds. Try not to blink, as this can force some of the drop out of your eye before it has had a chance to be absorbed.

8. Use a clean tissue to absorb and wipe away any drops that spill out of your eye and onto your eyelids and face.

9. Replace the cap of the bottle and screw it on securely. Never wipe the dropper tip with anything, as this may contaminate the drops.

10. Wash your hands to rinse away any stray eye drops.

Easy-peasy, right? If you are putting drops in both eyes, just repeat steps one to 10 with your other eye.