How to use eye drops correctly when eyestrain occurs

Photo/Pang Hao, Yu Ying, Xiao Zhibo, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University

Reviewed by Jia Yongxing Shanghai Science and Technology Press Popular Medicine Magazine

With the advancement of technology, electronic products have been fully integrated into people's lives. While electronic products make people's lives more convenient, they also bring a problem that people cannot ignore - eye fatigue. Compared with the past, people's eyes are more susceptible to photophobia, dryness, fatigue and swelling. People often choose to use eye fatigue eye drops to relieve discomfort, but during the operation, very little liquid is effectively dripped into the eye, and it is even difficult to drip into the eye. So how to use this type of eye drops correctly?

1. Common ingredients of eye fatigue eye drops

There are many types of eye drops. When discomfort occurs in the eyes, patients should go to the hospital for relevant examinations in time to clarify the cause of the disease. Follow the doctor's advice to use eye drops that are suitable for them. Do not use products at will for the sake of convenience, so as not to delay the condition. Patients with eye fatigue can use eye fatigue eye drops after it is confirmed that there is no organic lesion. This type of eye drops contains different ingredients, namely sodium hyaluronate and vitamin E, which can lubricate the eyeball, basic fibroblast growth factor, carbomer and povidone can relieve dry eye symptoms, and Chinese medicine ingredients such as digitalis glycosides, esculetin glycosides, chondroitin sulfate and taurine can also relieve eye fatigue and dry eyes.

2. Steps to use eye fatigue eye drops correctly

Before using eye fatigue eye drops, confirm whether they are within the validity period and keep your hands clean. Raise your lower jaw and tilt your head back. Pull the skin of the lower eyelid downward with your index finger and turn your eyeball upward. After shaking the eye drops well, drop them in mid-air without touching the eyeball. The liquid flows into the conjunctival dome of the lower eyelid. Close your eyes and rotate the eyeball clockwise or counterclockwise to allow the eye drops to fully contact the eyeball. At this time, press the root of the nose on both sides with your fingers to prevent the eye drops from flowing into the nasal cavity through the nasolacrimal duct and causing a bitter taste in the mouth. Then wipe off the excess liquid with a dry cotton ball.

3. Is it true that more eye drops for eye fatigue are better?

Generally, one drop of water is 40~50 μl, and the maximum amount of liquid that the conjunctival sac can hold is no more than 20 μl, so when using eye fatigue eye drops, one drop is enough for each eye. In addition to controlling the single usage amount, you should also pay attention to the number of times you use eye drops every day. Various types of eye drops (including eye fatigue eye drops) usually contain preservatives. Excessive and repeated drops will not only have no more relief for the symptoms of both eyes, but may even have a counterproductive effect. Everything is too much or too little. To ensure the effectiveness of eye fatigue eye drops and reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended to use them within 4 weeks after opening. After each use, the bottle cap should be tightened and stored in a dark place.

4. Prevent eye fatigue

If you want to fundamentally relieve eye fatigue, using only eye fatigue eye drops is a temporary solution. Good work and rest and living habits, such as avoiding staying up late and reducing dependence on electronic products, are very important for relieving eye fatigue. When some work cannot avoid the use of electronic devices, you can wear anti-blue light glasses; adjust the screen brightness within the normal range to prevent the screen brightness from being too high or too dark; it is recommended to look into the distance for 20 seconds after using electronic products for 20 minutes, and the viewing distance should be objects 20 feet (about 6 meters) away. In terms of diet, you can eat more foods with high lutein and vitamin C content; lutein has many beneficial effects such as anti-inflammatory, which can relieve eye diseases, and the antioxidant effect of vitamin C can prevent the occurrence of cataracts.

Eyes are not only an important organ of the human body, but also the most direct and important medium for people to communicate with the outside world. Eye diseases can greatly affect people's quality of life, disturb people's emotions, and in severe cases even affect their physical and mental health. Therefore, protecting your eyes is a daily topic for people, and you must not regret it in the end.