New Delhi: Using eye drops on their own without a doctor’s consultation is the most common mistake. This can lead to a lot of eye issues. For instance, using steroids without proper consultation can cause cataracts or glaucoma. Even using antibiotics in incorrect doses can lead to increased drug resistance of microbes. Other common mistakes people make include the use of dirty hands when applying these drops, touching the dropper to the eyes, starting blinking right after application, or not storing according to the eye drop label (mostly dry/cool places). The bottle of eye drops, once opened, should be used within a month.

In an interaction with News9Live, Dr. Jai Kelkar, Director; Director, NIO Super Specialty Hospital, Pune, India, spoke about the common eye drop mistakes that most people make.

Glaucoma leads to high eye pressure that damages the optic nerve and leads to vision loss. Eye drops help in decreasing this pressure. Moreover, if these eye drops are used incorrectly, they can silently damage your eyes since glaucoma shows no signs in the early stage. For infections, using eye drops properly is very important. Stopping the usage early, skipping doses, or using expired drops can reverse the treatment, and it might even worsen the symptoms or spread the infection. The first precaution for such patients would be to remove their lenses before applying the eye drops unless those drops are labeled as lens-safe. Wait for 15 minutes before reinserting the lens after application of these medicated eye drops. People who use contact lenses should preferably use preservative-free lubricants.

Always keep hands and droppers clean before using the drops to avoid irritation, blurred vision, or serious infections in the eyes. Young children and older people are usually at a higher risk of misuse. Kids are often scared, while seniors may have shaky hands, poor eyesight, or forget when to use the drops. Using drops when kids have settled properly in one place is an effective way to solve this problem. For older adults, setting reminders and labelling bottles properly so that everything is visible can be a proper solution. Taking help from a family member or a caretaker makes it even easier for them to use the eye drops. It’s important to discontinue the use of eye drops as soon as one experiences symptoms like severe eye pain, itching, sudden vision changes, increasing redness, swelling, yellow or green discharge, constant burning, and light sensitivity. They should rush to a doctor as soon as they see these symptoms.

As of now, drops that last longer or contact lenses soaked in glaucoma medicine have been tried. Newer and easier options are being developed. These include eye drop sprays (which are misted over closed eyes) or thicker gel that lasts longer than eye drops, and drug-releasing contact lenses that slowly deliver medication throughout the day. Some tiny inserts or plugs go inside the eyelid or tear duct and release medicine over time. These alternatives aim to reduce the need for frequent drops and make treatment more comfortable.