Cycling UK Forum

Does any one have experience of eye drop dispensers?

If your trying to administer eye drops on your own its devilishly difficult.Dispensers may make it easier.There are different ones on the market and I am not sure what is a good one.Eye problems like cataracts are affecting people as young as 40 and the age seems to be going down.It may be to much screen time on mobiles and desktops.Note some drops need to be kept refrigerated.A lot of us will need eye drops during our lifetime.
Thanks in advance to any replies.
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I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage

What are you applying that doesn't come in a dropper bottle?

Thanks

Jonathan

I guess this kind of thing which holds the dropper bottle in the right place and holds the eyelids open?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Autodrop-OWEN7 ... 3380&psc=1
I have seen something like these used, but a very long time ago!

Might be a case of going to your local chemist or your optician .....always better to get a personal recommendation, and actually see the thing you are buying!

I’m still having to use drops 10 months on from Shingles. I’ve become a dab hand with head back looking up and make sure I can see the end of the dropper before dropping. Funny thing is I still let out an involuntary urhh when it hits.

Im using drops daily and throughout the year as my optician tells me they can help with watery eyes, my winter problem as well as hay fever in the spring summer. I pull down the skin below my eye to make a gap and just put a drop in the gap. In front of a mirror. cant do this without.

My Dad used to use one. Looked a bit like an eye bath with the dropper bottle screwed into the bottom; but he was in his 90's so using nightly eye drops was a physical challenge.

Personally, I use eye drops several time a day (or rather a night) and find I quickly got used to where to hld the dropper bottle ad it's not a problem. Took a week or so to get used to it but then no problems.

If OPs eye drops are prescription ones, maybe buy some eye moisturiser drops e.g. Thealoz Duo or something that can be applied as needed, check with whoever prescribed the required drops for any conflict and if OK use the moisturiser drops to learn how to position the bottle (bit of practice and it isn't difficult).

Ian

"What are you applying that does not come in a dropper bottle"?

It does however as extract below practical is more difficult than theory:
Fear of eye drops is extremely common, as we're conditioned to reflexively protect our eyes, and introduction of any foreign substance into them makes us feel threatened and defenceless. So we blink, flinch, turn our face away, try to touch the dropper to our eyeballs…

Do not neglect a 2 year optical check up they pick up things like high cholesterol to cataracts ( the latter can lead to blindness if neglected long term) .We have a NHS thank God.Beats me how people in less developed countries manage with poorer healthcare systems.Even in USA people work partly just to keep their medical insurance even past retirement age.
I will use the RNIB site ad try and get a aid dropper that covers the eye.

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I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage

Psamathe wrote: ↑22 Aug 2023, 8:29pm ...
Personally, I use eye drops several time a day (or rather a night) and find I quickly got used to where to hld the dropper bottle ad it's not a problem. Took a week or so to get used to it but then no problems.
...

This is what I'd recommend. Practise in front of a mirror if that helps. Keep the routine and your position as consistent as possible. And see if using another finger on the cheekbone or nose helps to stabilise the dropper bottle.

Jonathan

Thanks for the tip from jdsk.
In general note it is easy to touch the tip of the nozzle to the eye.In the case of antibiotics this is not good due to possible contamination.Another reason using a aid may be good for the less agile.
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I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage

I use a method similar to Jonathan. I use the same hand as the eye (i.e. left/left or right/right) to pull the bottom lid down, then, looking straight ahead upright, I hold the dropper bottle in the other hand and brace that hand against the hand holding the eyelid down. I then align the bottle so that I'm looking at the dropper and gauging that it is in the correct place and angle before tipping my head backwards whilst maintaining hands and bottle relative to the face/eye so that the bottle goes from horizontal in front of, to vertical above the eye and gravity or a gentle squeeze delivers a drop onto the eye.

Suffering with cataracts for many years caused me to use drops frequently. The first cataract was operated on 9 years ago and the second 4 weeks ago tomorrow. Hopefully I won't need to use them once I've finished the current course of post-op drops and get new spectacles.

Freiston good luck. Good news is it should be painless. Note but please double check the following with your GP first. You can get ointments which might be easier to apply and do NOT need a fridge like eye drops. There will be a time delay when getting the drops and getting home and summer can be hot. A big pharmaceutical chain advised both options can be got without prescription after your doctors give the ok. I have some years before cataract surgery but the best technique I can think of is to cut strips of card eg expensive chocolate card wrapper. Then swipe with disinfectant and apply to edge of card then lower open eye lid IF your GP is ok with this. Ointments sometimes go in easily sometimes not. Its like this years British freestyle cycling freestyle championships. They make it look so easy .It ain't.
My neighbour who is 90 plus just had them done and said everything looked pink for a couple of days but her GP said this was ok. You could check for this side effect. The RNIB charity shop has lots to help.
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I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage

I strongly recommend against getting "disinfectant" or home made applicators anywhere near your eyes unless you know what you're doing and are aware of the risks.

Jonathan

briansnail wrote: ↑29 Aug 2023, 4:43pm Freiston good luck. Good news is it should be painless . . .

I had the op four weeks ago yesterday - and the other eye nine years ago! With the first eye, I had three (iirc) different bottles that one of at least had to be kept in the fridge. This time it was just one bottle that didn't need to be kept in the fridge but had to be shaken before use. I've got the post-op follow-up examination on Friday; all seems well to me - just looking forward to getting new glasses that work for both eyes now.

Good you will be cycling in no time. Thanks for letting us know very useful. Lots of people reading this will be coming to a time when their optician will recommend.
NOTE ON WEBSITES NO CYCLING FOR 2-4 WEEKS AFTER CATARACT OP again check with your GP.