In the treatment of eye diseases, eye drops are the most commonly used. They are usually instilled into the conjunctival sac, gently pulling the lower eyelid. Some of the drops moisturize or only lighten tired eyes, others soothe irritations, heal inflammation and serious ophthalmic diseases.
Eye dropsdiffer in composition depending on their intended use. It is best to talk to an ophthalmologist about the selection of eye drops - even as safe as the popularartificial tears , which can be bought without a prescription. Inappropriate preparation not only will not work, but may also cause unfavorable changes in the eyeball. So it's worth knowing a bit more about these drugs - especially if you use them frequently.
How to use eye drops
When it is necessary to use eye drops on a regular basis, work out a schedule for their administration. If the doctor decides that you need to apply them 3 times a day, there is no need to put them on exactly every 8 hours. It is best to adjust the intake of the drops to the rhythm of the day. Only patients suffering from very serious eye diseases are required to use these preparations precisely. In other situations, the instillation time does not matter for the course of therapy.
Drops can be taken lying down, sitting or standing. People who hate this procedure can apply the preparation on closed eyelids (better lying down). A portion of the drug is then placed in the recess by the nose - when you open your eyes, the drug will flow into your eye. If you apply drops yourself, you should open the lower eyelid, drop the preparation, and then press the corner of the eye with your finger, right next to the nose - then tears are blocked and the tears are blocked, instead of flowing into the nose, they stay longer on the eyeball, which improves their absorption . It is good to wink for a moment so that the medicine spreads over the surface of the eye.
Dosage of eye drops
The conjunctival sac, which has a limited capacity, can retain no more than 30 µl (microliters) of fluid. One drop of ophthalmic drug is usually 40-70 µl - its size depends on the type of dropper. Most of the drug will leak out or travel through the tear ducts to the nose or digestive tract. In the case of artificial tears, it is no greaterhe alth significance. However, when drugs with a strong effect on the sympathetic nervous system (e.g. adrenaline, beta-blockers, atropine) are administered, undesirable side effects may occur. This is especially true for people suffering from bronchial asthma or hypertension.
ImportantEye drops without preservatives
Allergy sufferers and those who have to use medications in the form of drops for many years due to a serious illness, e.g. glaucoma, should choose preparations without preservatives. The eyes of these people are hypersensitive and irritated more easily than others, so the idea is to minimize the risk of side effects from the drug.
Eye drops - artificial tears
These are the only preparations that can be used without restrictions. Their task is to moisturize the eyes. The composition of the tears and their amount are different for everyone. Moisturizing the eye, ie the natural secretion of tears, depends on the time of day, emotions, weather, etc. So if something in the eye "disturbs", if you experience discomfort with blinking or moving the eye - it is worth applying artificial tears. Their main ingredient is a semi-liquid gel based on methylcellulose or hyaluronic acid. Natural tears have 3 layers of lipids, water and mucin. Lipids, or fats, are on the outside and protect the eye from drying out. There is water inside and a layer of mucin substance closest to the eye that keeps the tears on the eye. Artificial tears perfectly imitate the structure and effect of natural tears.
Drops for tired eyes
It is a type of preparations that narrow blood vessels and thus eliminate redness of the eyes. Unfortunately, frequent use of this type of drops brings a lot of harm - the narrowed vessels do not let the blood pass through the eye, so the eyeball is nourished less and less. The overuse of such "brighteners" can result in various diseases that are usually difficult to treat. Therefore, if necessary, it is better to support yourself with artificial tears. However, the most important thing is to prevent eye fatigue, i.e. skilful care of work hygiene - maintaining a proper distance from the monitor, taking short breaks to allow the eyes to rest, moisturizing the air in the room.
Sometimes the eye drops cause allergic reactions
Any eye drops can cause allergies. The most common allergic reaction is caused by a preservative. But it can also be caused by the active substance, that is, the one that heals. If an allergic reaction occurs after using the eye drops, remember their name and never use them in the future. This is very important as each subsequent allergic reaction will be stronger than the previous one - you may experience severe swellingeyelid tearing, photophobia, soreness. When such an intensified allergic reaction occurs, it is necessary to discontinue the harmful preparation, and sometimes also to administer general desensitizing drugs.
Antibiotic eye drops
This group of eye drops mainly includes sulfonamides and antibiotics. The same strict rules apply to their use as to oral antibacterial drugs - you must not stop the treatment immediately after you get better. Usually, when treated with antibiotics or sulfonamides, at the beginning of treatment, the drops are administered in a loading dose (even every hour), and then at least every 4 hours, so that no strains resistant to the treatment are produced. When it is necessary to use several ophthalmic drugs at the same time, care should be taken that there are no interactions between the components (the active substances of the drug).
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