Eye Health: How to Insert Eye Drops

1. Wash your hands with soap and warm water. Dry them with a clean towel.
2. If you are putting in your own eye drop medicine, lie down or use a mirror. It may be helpful to ask someone to check that you are getting the eye drops in your eye.
3. Look up to the ceiling with both eyes.
4. While tilting your head back, pull the lower lid of your eye down with one hand. Hold the eye drops bottle or tube in your other hand (rest part of your hand on your forehead if necessary to keep it steady).
5. Place one eye drop or a small amount of ointment inside your lower lid. The tip of the medicine bottle or tube should not touch your eye.
6. Blink and dab away the excess eye drop fluid with a tissue.
7. If you are prescribed both eye drops and eye ointment, use the eye drops first.
8. If you have more than one eye drop medicine to put in your eyes, wait about 5 minutes after the first medicine before putting in the second eye drop medicine.
9. Immediately after using the eye drops, wash your hands to remove any medication that may be left on them.

If you have any questions, talk to your eye doctor.

Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute.