How Do Eyedrops Work?

Use of Drops

Eye drops are used for many purposes. Some are for allergies to get rid of redness and watery eyes. Some for eye doctor visits to dilate and others are just used for hydrating. There are many other uses as well such as infection, so how they work depends on what the purpose is.

What Happens

The first step in all eye drops is getting them into the eye. To do this you hold the eye open with one hand and squeeze the eye dropper over the eye with the other. Once in, the medicine will do its work. If the purpose is to hydrate the eyes, then just putting in the liquid is all that was needed. The eye drops will lubricate the eye and take the dry feeling away. If the purpose is infection, then the medicine in the drops will start to fight the illness. In the case of dilating, the drops will enlarge the pupil of the eye giving the doctor a way of looking inside the eye itself. Eye drops for glaucoma can keep the pressure of the eye at a normal level.

Adverse Reactions

Some individuals will react in a negative way to eye drops with certain medications in them. If you notice your eyes becoming itchy, swollen or red, then you should seek medical attention to identify the ingredient that is causing the irritation. This way you can change your medication accordingly.