Anyone using eye drops for the first time in their life will soon find out that is not easy to administer them. This is because there is hardly any other organ that reacts so sensitively to irritation as the eye: if the drops come into contact with the cornea, the eye tries subconsciously to wash out the “foreign body” with the help of blinking and increased productsion of lacrimal fluid. The right technique is therefore crucial in order to get the maximum effect from the preparation. We have produced for you step-by-step instructions and hygiene guidelines which will help you to correctly administer eye drops and to avoid infection.

Hygiene measures and tips

When administering eye drops, under no circumstances should contaminants or bacteria get into the eye since diseased, dry or inflamed eyes are usually more vulnerable to pathogens as they are already weakened. The consequences of a bacterial infection can be a severe inflammation of an already irritated eye. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to hygienic measures.

Before you use the eye drops, you should first of all thoroughly wash your hands. It is advisable when putting in the drops to be careful that the opening of the bottle neither comes into contact with your hands nor with your eye. As a general rule: eye drops can only be used by one person. The reason for this is that germs may stick to the opening and therefore contaminate the solution. If someone else uses the eye drops, there may be a transfer of the germs.

In addition, there is a range of tips which you can use when administering eye drops:
 

• Eye drops should be warmed up before use either in your pocket or in your hands. The eye reacts to cold with increased tear productsion and the preparation could be washed out of the eye before it can take effect.
• Shortly after administering the drops, you should lightly rub on the inside corner of the eye with one finger. This prevents premature drainage into the tear duct.
• Experiment to see which position for applying the drops is best for you: some people prefer to administer the drops while standing, others find it easier while lying or sitting.
• If you have to use other drops, too, you should leave an interval of at least ten minutes between them, in order to avoid interactions.
• Every preparation has a certain shelf life after its first usage and this should not be exceeded. All HYLO^® EYE products can be used for six months after opening.
   

Important: depending on the type of eye drops, there can be special characteristics in their administration. Your pharmacist can provide thorough information and you should make sure that you read the patient information leaflet.