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EYE DROPS
Introduction
The eye is one of the vital human organs that is very much exposed to the surroundings.
This means the eye has a higher possibility of being damaged due to infection, accident
and so forth. That is why when an infection or diseases such as glaucoma, affects the eye
it is important for patient to know how to maintain and preserve the eye. Most of the
time, patients will be prescribed with an eye drop medication for eye illness. However
patients who are presented with an eye drop medication need to be taught properly on how
to use it effectively. Every step and sequences in applying the medication has its own
rationale as shown below.
Steps and Its Rationale
Make sure you read the instructions on
the label correctly. (This is to ensure correct administration of the medication)
Wash your hands with soap and water
before and after use. (Washing hands can reduce transmission of microorganism to the eye)
Make sure there is no accumulation of
crust or presence of discharge. If present, clean the eyelids before applying the
medicine. Wet a cotton ball with warm water and gently wipe the lid from the inner corner
in an outward direction with the eye closed. (Crusts and discharge harbor microorganisms.
Cleansing from inner to outer direction avoids entrance of microorganisms into the eye)
Shake the bottle if this is indicated
on the bottle or if it is directed by the doctor.
Open the bottle carefully so that the
tip of the eyedropper does not touch anything, for instance your finger or your eye.
Tilt your head back and pull your lower
eyelid with the tip of your finger to form a pocket and look up.(Tilting the head can ease
installation of medication to the eye and minimize drainage of medication through the tear
duct. By looking up, this will retract the sensitive cornea up and away from the
conjunctival sac and reduces stimulation of the blink reflex.)
Hold the dropper at least 1-2 cm above
the eye with the other hand and squeeze the correct number of drops into the pocket
between your lower lid and eyeball without touching the lid with the tip of the bottle.
(Holding the dropper in such a way could prevent accidental contact of eyedropper with the
eye structures, thus reducing risk of injury to the eye and transfer of infection to the
dropper)
Use this medicine in both eyes if the
doctor recommended to do so.
Close your eyes slowly and gently press
a finger against the inside corner of each eye and keep them closed for approximately 1
minute to allow the medication to absorb. (Closing the eyes gently and slowly may help
distribution of medicine evenly whereas squinting or squeezing of eyelids forces medicine
out from conjunctival sac)
Slight stinging sensation may be
present after using the medication. (The cornea has a lot of pain fibres that makes it
very sensitive towards anything applied to it)
After using the eye drop, do not rinse
or wipe the dropper. Keep the bottle clean and tightly closed when you are not using it.
When using multiple medications, wait
for a few minutes between each application to ensure the eyes have enough time to absorb.
If the doctor prescribed you with a
combination of eye drops and ointments, and these medications have to be taken at the same
time, always remember to apply the eye drops a few minutes before the eye ointment.
(Instillation of eye drops prior to eye ointment helps the eye drop to penetrate the eye
without hindrance from a thick layer of ointment)
Storage:
Check the label on the bottle whether
refrigeration is required between doses.
Store away from the heat and light and
do not freeze the eye drops.
Discard the eye drops after 4 weeks
from the date the bottle had been opened.
If You Miss A Dose:
Use as soon as you remember except when
it is close to the time for your next dose.
If it is almost time for the next dose,
skip the missed dose and return to your regular dosing schedule.
Do not double the dose.
Precaution:
Please consult your doctor before
taking any medication if you are pregnant or breast feeding.
Make sure that your doctor is aware of
your present illness such as diabetes, high blood pressure or other medical problems.
It is inadvisable for you to continue
wearing your contact lenses, particularly hydrophilic (soft) contact lenses when using
eyedrops, unless it medically indicated.
Risk of transmitting infection from one
eye to the other is high. So, avoid touching the eyelids or other eye structures with
eyedroppers.
Use eye medication only for your
affected eye.
Never allow other person to use your
eye medication.
Side Effects:
Please call your doctor immediately if you have any of these side effects:
Eye pain or changes in vision.
Continued redness and irritation or
large pupils
Weakness or headache.
The reward for successful therapy is the
maintenance of one’s vision. To ensure the success of eye treatment, appropriate
selection of drugs, patient compliance with the selected regimen, and monitoring of the
side effects and disease progression is important
NASAL DROPS
Introduction
Nose is concerned with the special sense of smell as well as being the first organ of the
respiration system. Air breathed in through the nose is warmed, filtered and moistured
before entering the lower respiratory passages and the lungs. If the condition of the nose
is not good, our sense of taste and smell will be affected and could eventually spread to
our lung. Certain diseases or ailments that concern the nose will require nose or nasal
drops. This is a type of medication where the drug is in the form of droplets and given
directly into the nose. However, information and instruction on how the nasal drops should
be used needs to be given. By only using it correctly it will maximise the effect of
medication. Below are the important steps and its rationale on the proper usage of nasal
drops.
Steps and Its Rationale
Read the instruction on the label.
(This is to ensure that proper administration of medicine will take place)
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap
and water. (To prevent transmission of microorganism to the nose)
Check the dropper tip for chips and
cracks.
The nose drops must be kept clean.
Avoid touching the dropper against the nose or anything else.
Check the condition of your nose
whether there is any discharge present. (If there is any discharge present, clear the nose
by using a clean cloth or tissue. This is important that the discharge does not block the
distribution of the medication.)
Hang your head over the edge and tilt
your head back as far as comfortable. (These actions are to provide access to nasal
passages and to allow medication to drain to affected sites.)
Breathe through your mouth. (This is to
prevent the aspiration of nasal drops into trachea and lungs)
Instill prescribed number of drops into
the nose.(see figure 3 & 4)
Remain in this position for a few
minutes to allow the medication to spread in the nose.
Keep the bottle clean and tightly
closed when you are not using it.
It is not advisable to share your
medication with other people.
Figure 3 & 4
Storage:
Keep this medication in the container it
came with and keep the container tightly closed and away from the heat.
Every bottle that has been opened has a
certain length of time to be used. To get further information, please consult your
pharmacist.
Store the medication out of reach of
children.
Store at room temperature or follow the
instruction on the label of the bottle.
If You Miss A Dose:
Use as soon as you remember except when it
is close to the time for your next dose.
If it is almost time for the next dose,
skip the missed dose and return to your regular dosing schedule.
Do not double the dose.
Side Effects:
Dryness
Irritation of nose and throat (nasal
mucosa)
Unpleasant taste and smell
# if you suffer from any unbearable side
effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
EAR DROPS
Introduction
As we all know, the ear has an important function of hearing as well as for the
maintenance of equilibrium. It has three divisions: the external and the middle ears are
for the collection and conduction of sound waves and the inner ear, which serve as the
receptor. Normally, poor or inadequate hygiene of the ears will affect hearing acuity
where wax or foreign substances collected in the external ear canal will interfere with
sound conduction. So, to maintain our ear function, we have to maintain good ear hygiene
in order to avoid any infection or damage to our hearing. When this happens, your doctor
will prescribe drugs in the form of ear drops. To ensure the correct dose is administered,
knowledge on the proper method of using ear drops is required. Below is the rationale of
every steps taken during the administration of ear drops.
Steps and Its Rationale
Make sure that you read the instructions
on the label correctly. (This is to ensure that correct administration of the medication
will take place)
Wash your hands with soap and water before
and after use. (Washing hands can reduce transmission of microorganism to the ear)
Make sure that there is no accumulation of
crusting discharge present. If present, clear the ear by using tissue.
Shake the bottle if this is indicated on
the bottle or if it is ordered by the doctor.
Open the bottle carefully so that the tip
of the dropper does not touch anything for instance your finger or your ear.
Tilt your head to the side with the ear to
be treated facing up and straighten ear canal by pulling the auricle down and back (for
children) and upward and outward (for adult). (Straightening ear canal provides direct
access to deeper external ear structures)
Hold the dropper at least 1-2cm above the
ear canal with the other hand and drop the correct number of drops into the ear (see
figure 5) (Holding the dropper in such a way could prevent accidental contact of ear
dropper with ear structures, thus, reducing transfer or infection to the dropper)
Keep the ear tilted up for a few minutes.
(This is to allow complete distribution of medication)
After using the ear drop, do not rinse or
wipe the dropper.
 
Figure 5
Storage:
This medication must be stored in a
tightly closed container at room temperature and away from direct light.
For some medication, it has to be
stored in the refrigerator, so please read the instructions on the label carefully.
Keep all medicines out of reach of
children and do not use this medication after the expiry date.
Every bottle that has been opened has a
certain length of time to be used. To get further information, please consult your
pharmacist.
If You Miss A Dose:
Use as soon as you remember except when
it is close to the time for your next dose.
If it is almost time for the next dose,
skip the missed dose and return to your regular dosing schedule.
Do not double the dose.
Precaution:
Ask your doctor or pharmacist before
taking any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, and herbal products.
If you are pregnant or breast feeding,
inform your doctor before using this medicine.
Make sure your doctor knows if you have
a history of ear problems or a perforated ear drum.
If your symptoms do not subside in one
week or become worse, inform your doctor.
Side Effects:
Call your doctor immediately if you have any of these side effects:
Skin rash
Redness
Swelling or intense itching that
develops after you have started this medicine.
Stinging or burning of the ear.
If you have problems with any other side
effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
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