Vision is of great importance! Four common misunderstandings about children using eye drops. Have you fallen into these misunderstandings?

Winter vacation is coming, and it is the cold winter season. Children's outdoor activities are reduced. If they often watch cartoons and play games, it is more likely to cause dry eyes, fatigue and even vision loss. Many parents will choose to give their children eye drops for treatment, but improper use of eye drops can easily cause children to suffer from eye diseases (eye infections, glaucoma, corneal damage, etc.), causing irreversible damage to their children's vision.

Myth 1: Put eye drops directly on the eyeball

Some parents, fearing that their children will not cooperate or cry, cut the Gordian knot by directly prying open their children's eyelids and dripping the drops directly onto the eyeballs. Dripping the liquid medicine directly onto the black eyeballs will not only fail to achieve the therapeutic effect, but may also cause the liquid medicine to irritate the cornea, especially for eye drops that are more irritating.

Experts from Changsha Aier Eye Hospital said that the correct way to do this is to drip eye drops into the child's lower eyelid. First, tilt the child's head back slightly, let the child look up, pull down the lower eyelid with one hand to expose the lower eyelid, and with the other hand, suspend the eye drops 1 to 2 cm above the eye and drip into the lower eyelid. Then let the child close his eyes and rest for 2 to 3 minutes. You can also press the inner corner of the eye for a while to reduce the amount of drops from the tear duct into the mouth and nose.

Myth 2: The more eye drops you put in, the better the effect

Many parents believe that if their children's eyes are dry, tired, or itchy, putting a few more drops at a time will quickly relieve the eye discomfort. Or they think that some eye drops will overflow when they put them in, and they are afraid that the eyes will not absorb enough drops, so they add one or two more drops. This is a wrong perception.

Don't put too much eye drops at a time, one drop is enough. Because the capacity of the conjunctival sac of our eyes is limited, studies have shown that the liquid capacity that human eyelids can hold is about 0.02-0.03ml, and the amount of one drop of eye drops is about 0.04-0.05ml. Putting several drops at a time will not only cause drug waste, but also increase the chance of adverse drug reactions.

Myth 3: The shelf life of eye drops after opening is based on the expiration date on the packaging

When the eye drops are unopened, they can be used according to the expiration date on the package. However, once opened, they should generally be used up within 4 weeks. It is recommended to discard unused eye drops and not reuse them to avoid poor effects or eye infections.

Once the eye drops are opened, the storage environment changes and the efficacy will gradually weaken. At the same time, during the use and storage process, the medicine may be contaminated by microorganisms in the air, posing a safety hazard.

If the method of use is improper and the dropper contacts the cornea when applying eye drops, the risk of eye infection will be greater. In special cases, use according to the instructions of the drug. For example, the instructions for sodium hyaluronate eye drops (Haulu) recommend that it be used within 12 weeks after opening; and calf blood deproteinized eye gel should be used within one week after opening.

Myth 4: Eye drops are better kept fresh in the refrigerator

First of all, not all eye drops need to be refrigerated. Secondly, the temperature and humidity in a household refrigerator do not meet the storage conditions for medicines, so putting eye drops in the refrigerator will not make the medicine more effective or extend the shelf life of the medicine.

The storage conditions of drugs must be kept in accordance with the storage conditions specified in the drug instructions. Some eye drops are not suitable for being placed in the refrigerator. For example, some suspension eye drops are poorly soluble drugs, so if they are made into suspension eye drops and stored in a low temperature environment, the drug components will easily crystallize and precipitate, which will lead to uneven drug content and reduce the efficacy.

Common storage methods for medicines: cool and dark place means: away from light and not exceeding 20℃; refrigeration: 2~8℃; room temperature or normal temperature means: 10~30℃.

I hope every parent will keep the above misunderstandings in mind, consult doctors and pharmacists if you have any questions, do not use them without authorization, learn to read the instructions, and use eye drops correctly!

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Cao Weiyu, Department of Pharmacy

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(Edited by YT)