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One of the most common mistakes people make while using eye drops is that they don’t realize that once they break the seal of an eye drop, it expires within a month. Most of the drops contain preservatives, so the chances of that solution getting contaminated after breaking the seal and opening would increase.

Most people assume that all eye drops are the same, but there are a lot of different kinds of eye drops. These include antibiotics, steroids, anti-allergic eye drops, lubricants, anti-glaucoma drops, etc. Some drops, like steroids, when used indiscriminately, can cause side effects like an increase in eye pressure and glaucoma, which can reduce the immunity of eyes, increase the chances of having eye infections, and long-term usage can also even cause cataracts. That's why it's necessary to use eye drops only under medical supervision or if prescribed by an ophthalmologist.

Normally, eyes can protect themselves from dust and infections by blinking and tearing. But when we use contact lenses, the corneal sensation becomes dulled over time and reduces tears, which can cause dryness of the eyes and increase the chances of infections. It's not advisable to use eye drops over contact lenses.

Yes, I have had elderly patients who came to me after accidentally putting pain oil into their eyes instead of eye drops. They were unable to read the labels correctly because older adults, after 40 people have difficulty with nearsightedness, especially reading fine print like that on medicines and eye drops. It's also advisable to keep eye drops and medications out of reach of young children, as accidental poisoning can happen.

Any intense itching, burning sensation, pain, redness, excessive watering from the eyes, or blurring of vision calls for an Ophthalmologist consultation to get the right treatment.

Eye drops are one of the most useful and safest options to deliver medications to the eyes whenever necessary. In some cases, like computer vision syndrome, the better option is to reduce the screen time and take regular breaks from the screen to avoid or reduce the need for eye drops. Similarly, we have started instilling eye drops directly into the eye during cataract surgery so that we can avoid the need to use eye drops after cataract surgery. Lastly, we have started using implants in the eye to deliver medications long-term instead of having to use eye drops daily.


Fun facts-
Do not touch the tip of the dropper with unhygienic surfaces; you can introduce infection if you touch the tip.
Do not touch the tip to your eye; try to make sure that there is a gap between the tip of the dropper and your eye.
Try to dispose of the first drop before instilling it into the eye.

(Dr. Sirisha Asmath, MBBS, MS – Ophthalmology, Ophthalmologist/ Eye Surgeon, Apollo Clinic, Hyderabad )