eyedrops

Any medicinal substance dropped in liquid form onto the conjunctiva.

In applying eyedrops, the head should be held back; the drops will not pass from under the upper lid to under the lower lid or vice versa. The smaller the eyedrops, the better. Too much liquid in the eye causes the patient to blink, and the medication is then washed away by the increased lacrimal secretion.

CAUTION!

Many medicines are not absorbed from the conjunctiva; they may be readily absorbed from the nasolacrimal duct. For this reason, esp. in children, it is advisable to close off the duct by applying pressure to the inner canthus of the eye for a few minutes after each instillation.