How to use eye drops and ointments

How to apply eye drops?

• Wash hands
• Tilt your head back and look at the ceiling
• Gently pull the lower eyelid down until it forms a small pocket, or pouch.
• Squeeze the bottle or the dropper to release a single drop into the eye. Take care not to touch the eye or eyelid with the nozzle of the bottle.
• Release the lower lid and close eyelid for 30 seconds. Dab excess with tissue.

Special precautions:

• In order to keep the eye drops clean: 
• do not allow the nozzle to touch the eye or anything else
• do not allow other people to use your eye drops
• replace the cap of the eye drops immediately after use
• discard the eye drops four weeks after first opening
• If you are using more than one kind of eye drop in the same eye, wait five minutes between drops.
• If you are using both drops & ointment in the same eye, always use the drops first and wait five minutes before applying the ointment.
• If you wear contact lenses, you should stop wearing them for the duration of your treatment unless otherwise directed by your doctor.

How to apply eye ointment?

• Wash hands.
• Tilt head back and look at ceiling.
• Gently pull the lower eyelid down until it forms a small pocket, or pouch.
• Hold the tube parallel to the eye to avoid injury. Squeeze a line of approximately ½ cm (¼ inch) of ointment into the pouch without touching the eye, lid or lashes.
• Release the lower lid and allow to blink. Wipe away the excess ointment with a tissue.

Post operative care after Cataract Surgery

Precautions to be taken after surgery:

1. Use the eye drops and medicines as prescribed by the doctor. 
2. Avoid rubbing or squeezing your eye.

Protection: As advised by your doctor, you may wear the protective eye shield at night for first week. Dark eyeglasses may be worn during the daytime, especially outdoors, to avoid any discomfort that you may have from bright light and also to prevent any injury to eye.

Face wash: For the first few days, avoid splashing water directly into the eye. You may use a clean, soft, wet towel to wipe your face.

Shaving: Shaving of the beard is permitted after the operation.

Bathing: Body bath (below the neck) may be resumed after the first day, but avoids taking a shower or a bath in the bathtub for the first week after surgery.

Head bath: One may wash the hair with the head tilted backwards to avoid any water splashing into the eye.

Games: Normal daily activities including walking, reading and watching television may be resumed soon after the operation. However avoid strenuous activities like jogging, lifting weights, swimming, gardening, aerobics, contact sports etc. for 1-2 months.

Sex: You can resume your sex life a week or two after the operation after consulting your doctor.

Makeup: Avoid eye makeup for 6 weeks.

Diet: There are no dietary restrictions and you may take your routine diet. However, the restrictions as per you pre-existing medical problems, if any, are to continue. Avoid constipation by taking high fiber diet and plenty of fluids. Avoid excessively oily and spicy food.

Driving: Avoid driving unless the surgeon permits you.

Job: You may get back to your job in 1-4 weeks after surgery depending on your profession. Ask your surgeon about this.

Normal symptoms: The following symptoms are normal and are not a cause for alarm. These are slight redness, mild watering, mild irritation, glare and slight drooping of upper eyelid. These will remain to some extent for 6-8 weeks.

Alarming symptoms: In case of any pain, injury, decrease in vision or flashes of light in the operated eye, contact your surgeon immediately.

Procedure for cleaning the eye:

1. The operated eye needs to be cleaned at least twice a day.
2. The attendant performing this task should wash the hands with soap and water and dry them with a clean towel.
3. You may use the disposable tissue supplied at the hospital for this purpose. Alternately you may place cotton in a clean vessel cover it with a lid for 10 minutes, let it cool down, take the cotton out, squeeze the excess water and use the same to clean.
4. Cleaning the lower lid is done by asking the patient to look up and wiping all the secretions sticking to the lower lid margin.
5. Cleaning the upper lid is done by asking the patient to look down and doing similar procedure.
6. Similarly the outer and inner corners of the eye are cleaned.
7. Once the margins and corners are cleaned, the eye drops can be instilled and then the surrounding areas can also be cleaned.

General instructions for instilling medicines in the eye:

1. Always instill drops before ointment.
2. Leave a gap of 5 minutes between two medications.
3. Keep the eye closed for 5 minutes after applying the medication.
4. Once opened the eye drops are discarded after 10 days.
5. Replace the cap of the bottle immediately after use.
6. Make sure that the right drops are being used for the right number of times.
7. If similar medication is advised for both eyes, it is advisable to have separate bottles for the two eyes.
8. Unused eye medication, once opened is discarded and never used for other persons.

General instructions:

1. Do not rub the eyes
2. Do not lift heavy weights
3. Do not allow the eye to get injured- the eye shield is meant to protect the eye from physical hurt.
4. Avoid too many visitors for fear of contacting infection- especially avoids visitors with conjunctivitis, cold etc.
5. Do not play with children since there is possibility of getting hurt in the eye.
6. Do not strain at toilet. If needed please take laxative.
7. Avoid use of snuff.
8. Cigarette smoking should be avoided.
9. Alcoholic beverages are best avoided.
10. Avoid using handkerchief to mop the eye. Use sterile tissue only.