Drop Applications: ease of use
Unsurprisingly, one of the most important reasons for poor response to topical therapy is simply the drop not getting into the eye. This is not due to lack of motivation, rather it is actually the ability to instil the drops into the eye which is the challenge. Hopefully these tips may help achieve greater success in drop application. Fundamentally, there are undoubtedly frustrations regarding the delivery mechanism of the drops: the little bottles and minims are not overly user friendly! Gurjeet Jutley informs, patients with other co-morbidities such as arthritis would struggle immensely and certainly it is difficult to disagree with this.
Hence to try to combat these hurdles:
- Where-ever possible, get help
- From relatives, neighbours, friends
- Prior to instilling drops, ensure you have the right bottle with the right medication
- Wash your hands prior to proceeding
- Whilst it is not an aseptic procedure, good hygiene is always advisable
- Get comfortable
- Try lying down on the bed, looking up and pulling down the lower lid
- Alternatively, sit in a comfy chair and lean your head slightly backwards (slight hyper-extension of the neck)
- Pivot the bottle on the bridge of your nose or eyebrow
- Alternatively, the free hand can make a fist and this can provide the pivot point
- Squeeze the bottle, make sure the tip stays away from the eyelashes or eyeball itself
- Dab any access fluid with a clean tissue
- Enquire about adjuncts and aid to help squeeze the bottles with greater ease.
This blog is contributed by Gurjeet Jutley.