Eye ointments are prescribed by doctors in many eye conditions. Ointment and antibacterial eye medication that is prescribed for dry eye are usually applied on the lower lid of the eye, and some care is needed for the right application.
However, in eyelid eczema, doctors prescribe eye ointments that are applied to the eyes. No matter what kind of ointment you are going to apply to your eyes, there are certain things that you should consider.
There are two methods of applying ointment to your eyes; in this blog, we will be discussing both of them one by one.
1. Applying Ointment inside Your Lower Lid
• Washing your hands
Wash your hand with soap and water for about 20 to 30 seconds before applying the eye ointment. Even if you are taking help from a caregiver or family member, you need to make sure that you clean your hands properly. Washing your hands will help you in a lot of ways:
In case of treating infections with clean hands, your infection will not spread to other areas of your eyes. This does not mean that you don’t have to wash your hands if you are not treating eye infections.
• Warm up the Tube and Remove the Cap from the Tube
Rub the tube for a few seconds, or simply hold the tube in your hand to warm up the ointment a little bit. Rubbing the ointment will warm it, and it will flow easily out of the tube.
Remove the cap and put it in a clean place so that there is no bacterial intrusion in your حساسيه العين (eye ointment) through the cap.
• Press the Lower Area of your Eye with your Thumb
Have the other person’s head tilt back, or tilt back your head, if you are applying ointment in your eyes.
Hold the eyebrow with one finger, and with the other hands’ thumb press the area just beneath your lower eyelid. By doing this you will get exposed to the pocket of your eye, which is the exact place for the ointment application.
• Apply Thin Layer of Ointment in your Eye
Apply a thin layer of your eye ointment between your lower eyelid and your eye, starting from the tip of your eye that is close to the nose across the whole eye.
Place the cap back on the ointment and keep your eyes closed for about 1 to 2 minutes. Use a tissue to wipe out the excess ointment from your eye.
• Try to relax first and ask for help if you can’t stop blinking
If you will not stop blinking, you will not be able to get the ointment in your eye, so make sure to get yourself relaxed if you can’t stop blinking.
Eye ointments and medications have a proper way of getting absorbed, and if they are not absorbed there is no use in actually using the
So, if you are applying an accurate dose of ointment to your eye make sure to get the dose absorbed as well.
2. Applying Ointment to the Eyelids
• Wash your hands before and after applying the topical ointment
The topical ointment is usually applied with your bare fingers, so you need to wash your hands properly using soap and water before and after the application of topical ointment.
• Use the smallest amount to thinly cover, the affected area of your eye
Remove the cap of your topical ointment and keep the cap on a clean surface. Gently squeeze the tube to get a thin amount of ointment on your finger, and gently apply it to the affected area of your skin.
Keep rubbing the ointment gently on the affected area so that it gets absorbed into the eye.
But make sure that the ointment does not gets inside your eyes, and do not apply the ointment on the non-affected part of your eye.
• Do not swim or take shower soon after applying ointment
Wait for at least 30 minutes before you take a shower or swim right after applying the topical ointment to your eye. The medicine needs at least 30 minutes to get absorbed in the area and show its effect, so make sure to not wash it away with water before that.
• Avoid direct sunlight, tanning beds, and all other sources of Ultraviolet Rays
Ointments and medication that are used to treat eczema on the eyes are highly sensitive to ultraviolet rays and direct sunlight.
If it’s an emergency to go outside in sunlight make sure to wear customized sunglasses so that you can avoid as many ultraviolet rays as you can.
• Use the ointment for up to 6 weeks
There is a time for application of the drugs, and the time needed to treat eczema on the eyelid usually takes 6 weeks to treat the symptoms of eyelid eczema.
Always stick to your dermatologist’s prescription when it comes to the duration of application of medications and ointments.