Many medications are offered in the form of highly concentrated drop solutions. Because the active ingredient is already dissolved in the drops, it is generally absorbed more quickly by the body. In addition, drops can be dosed much more individually than tablets, for example. Drops are also used for the ears, nose and eyes. We provide tips on how to use drop solutions.
Use and dosage of dropper solutions
The handling of the dropper bottle is sometimes not so easy. A distinction is made between “edge droppers” and “central droppers”.
- Rim droppers have a hole in the center of the dropper insert from which the liquid drips out. The dropper must be held at an angle for the liquid to drip out.
- In central droppers, in addition to the small tube in the center from which the drops come, there is a second tube on the edge of the insert. It is used for ventilation. Central droppers must be held exactly vertically upside down, so that the correct drop size is achieved.
The exact handling is indicated on the package insert of the drug. For drops, make sure that the bottles are always well screwed. When liquid evaporates, the solution is concentrated and the usual dosage contains more active ingredient than usual.
Dosing correctly despite vision problems.
Proper dosing of drops becomes difficult when vision is failing. Those who have poor eyesight but good hearing can help themselves with a trick: Drop the drops into an empty yogurt cup and count by ear. In contrast to a teaspoon, the sounding board of a plastic cup is larger and you can spill or miss less. However, this method requires a great deal of concentration. The cup should be rinsed immediately afterwards, and moreover, it should be used only for this purpose. In any case, for people with vision problems, it is good to inform the doctor about this and have tablets prescribed instead of drops, for example. In case of bigger problems, counting the drops should be done by another person.
Ear drops
Always apply ear drops warm to the touch, as the ear canal is very sensitive to temperature. To do this, you can warm the bottle between your hands while gently moving it back and forth, but do not shake it. For ear drops, put your head to the side and place a drop in the ear canal. Wait a little while before straightening your head or tilting it to the other side. You may be able to place a small cotton plug on the outside, which will help keep the liquid in the ear. However, do not force or even force the cotton plug into the ear canal under any circumstances.
Nose drops
For the effective use of nasal drops applies:
- Blow the nose before use.
- Put head on the back of the neck and put a drop in each nostril.
- Then hold head straight so that the liquid does not run down the throat.
Eye drops
Eye drops act only locally and therefore have few side effects. To avoid contamination of the dropper solution, the corresponding dropper should not touch the eye. After opening, eye drops may be used for a maximum of four to six weeks (see package insert). Before use, they should be warmed by hand, because the eyes will then tear less. Contact lenses must be removed before eye drops are applied. Drip-in is easier if the following is observed:
- Sit down, tilt your head back, and look up gently pull the lower eyelid forward and drop the solution into the lower conjunctival sac in the corner of the eye.
- Then close the eyelid for ten seconds.
- Blink and roll the eyeballs with the eyelids closed, so that the active ingredients are well distributed.
- Put only one drop at a time in the eye, possibly drip again.
- With different preparations, you should wait ten minutes between applications, otherwise there could be interactions. In addition, the active ingredient remains so longer at the eye.
- Artificial tears should only be dropped a quarter of an hour after other medications.
Use oily eye drops in the evening
Oily eye drops based on well-tolerated oils such as peanut or castor oil are more viscous than water-based drops. They remain in contact with the cornea and conjunctiva longer. However, they obstruct vision, e.g.e.g. when driving and should therefore be applied in the evening. This also applies to eye ointments, which restrict vision even more and are often perceived as foreign bodies in the eye. Those who have problems with dripping can obtain dropper aids, among other things, at the pharmacy in addition to specific advice.
