YAMOUT OPTICAL CENTER

                                                                                                contact us

EYE MEDICATIONS

The Lacrimal Drainage System

The tears of each eye drain into a tiny opening in each lid called a punctum. They then flow through a small canal into the lacrimal sac and down the nasolacrimal duct into the nose. From there, they are channeled into your nasal cavity where they are swallowed or blown out with other nasal fluids. If there are too many tears, they will overflow your lower lid and run down your cheeks.

Medication classes historically used in the management of eye complaints include topically applied medications that are site specific. Compared with oral medications, topical agents are associated with a decreased incidence of systemic side effects. Drugs administered directly to the eye pass rapidly through the nasolacrimal duct into the nose and then through the highly vascular nasal mucosa. Thus, they enter into the blood stream without first undergoing metabolism in the liver. With topical administration, conjunctival and localized skin allergic reactions are relatively common, whereas severe reactions are rare.

Using Eyedrops

Most eyedrops are generally safe, but be sure to inform your doctor if you are using any eye medication, including any over-the-counter eyedrops. Like most medicines, they can have side effects, or they might not work well with other medicines you are taking. Keep all eyedrops away from children.

• First, check the label on the bottle to make sure that you are using the right medicine.

• Wash your hands.

• Before you open the bottle, shake it a few times.

• Bend your neck back so that you're looking up at the ceiling. Use your thumb and forefinger to pull down your lower eyelid (see drawing below).

• Without letting the tip of the bottle touch your eye or eyelid, squeeze one drop of the medicine into the space between your eye and your lower eyelid. If you squeeze in more than one drop, you're wasting medicine.

• After you squeeze the drop of medicine into your eye, close your eye. Then press a finger between your eye and the top of your nose (directly over the lacrimal sac). Press for several minutes. This way, more of the medicine stays in your eye. You'll be less likely to have side effects.

• Wash your hands again after you put the drops in your eyes.

• Don't let the tip of the bottle touch a table, the cabinet or anything else.

If you are using multiple eyedrops.....

• Put a drop of the first medicine in your eye. Wait at least 10 minutes to put the second medicine in your eye. By allowing these 10 minutes in between eyedrops, you will reduce the risk of adverse interaction between the two medications. In addition, eyedrops will need this time to be absorbed completely and work effectively before the instillation of another drop.

• If someone else puts your medicines in your eye for you, remind that person to wait 10 minutes between each medicine.

Glaucoma Medications

Medication classes used in the management of glaucoma include beta blockers, miotics, sympathomimetics and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. When a topical medication is chosen as first-line therapy in a patient with primary open-angle glaucoma, a stepped approach is used. Thus, a single topical agent is given up to its maximum dosage, as tolerated, before another agent is added or a different agent is tried. Additional medications are selected based on their potential complementary contribution to IOP reduction and the tolerability of their side effects. The patient who is receiving maximal medical therapy may be applying up to four different classes of topical medications. Several combination drops have been marketed or are undergoing trials that will simplify dosage regimens and thereby increase patient compliance.

GLAUCOMA MEDICATION INFORMATION

TOPICAL OCULAR MEDICATION CAP COLOR CODE

Many pharmaceutical manufacturers color-code the bottle caps on eyedrop bottles. The chart below represents some of the most common colors used to distinguish the class of certain ocular medications...