What are eye drops used for?
1. Infectious conjunctivitis.
Children often rub their faces and eyes with their hands; it is easy to spread an infection this way. Therefore, bacterial conjunctivitis occurs mainly in children under 3 years of age. The doctor prescribes drops with an antibiotic and other active ingredients that suppress the growth of flora, relieve inflammation, and have an antiallergic effect. 2. Dry eye syndrome. Older children who read a lot or sit at the computer may need drops if they experience pain and stinging in their eyes. Constant tension leads to the fact that tear fluid is not produced in the required quantity and does not moisturize the cornea and mucous membrane. In this case, drops of natural tears or Oftagel may be useful.
3. Instillation of atropine before a vision test. If myopia is suspected, the baby is given the drug atropine, which dilates the pupil. The medicine is dripped over a period of 3-4 days, so it is important to know how to properly instill drops into a child’s eyes so that the desired effect is achieved. The ophthalmologist then looks at the pupil through a special device and determines the refractoriness of vision.
Putting drops into a child's eyes: common mistakes
Now you know how to properly instill drops into a child, what precautions need to be taken and what to do if the baby interferes with treatment. Very often, adults make the following mistakes, which lead to a decrease in the therapeutic effect of the drug:
- instillation is carried out directly onto the cornea, and not into the conjunctival sac, which can cause burning and pain in the eyes;
- using a large volume of solution;
- instillation of the medicine into the corner of the eye near the nose, causing liquid to enter the nose;
- failure to comply with hygiene rules (and this is one of the most important rules on which the effectiveness of treatment depends).
When drops are instilled into a child’s eyes in accordance with all the doctor’s recommendations and prescriptions, no complications should arise. However, no one is 100% safe from them. There is an individual intolerance to the drug, which is very difficult to establish during the examination and before the first use of the medicine.
If you notice that complications have appeared, stop giving the medicine to your baby and show him to an ophthalmologist. Side effects usually include symptoms such as redness of the conjunctiva and sclera, and tearing. Children who can already speak and explain their condition complain of pain, sensitivity to light, burning and itching in the eyes. In such cases, you will have to change the medicine, which is also done under the guidance of a pediatrician.
Preparation.
1. Check the presence of the medicine, a pipette, if the bottle does not have its own dispenser.
2. Wash your hands with soap.
3. When using a pipette, rinse it in boiling water by letting water in and out several times.
4. To remove purulent discharge you will need cotton wool or cotton pads and a furatsilin solution.
5. If the medicine was stored in the refrigerator, then warm it to room temperature by simply holding it in your palms for a few minutes.
6. Never use pipettes that were used to put drops into your nose or ears.
General rules for preparing and carrying out the drop instillation procedure
- If you have to use a pipette, first place it in a glass container and pour boiling water over it;
- Prepare a few balls of clean cotton wool;
- When instilled, you will only need 2-3 drops of the medicine, so you should not fill the pipette completely to avoid an overdose. Dial up the required volume and make sure that drops do not fall into the rubber part, but to do this, hold it vertically.
It is important to know!
Medicines intended for instillation should not be cold. This is especially true for ear and eye drops. Before use, they must be warmed to at least normal body temperature. If the drops are packaged in an ampoule, you can hold them in your hands for a while. If the drops are large, you can take a small container (for example, a teaspoon) and dip it in hot water. While the spoon remains warm, pour a few drops of medicine into it, which will take heat from it. This procedure must be carried out very carefully so as not to overheat the drops, which may lose their quality due to exposure to temperature.
Step-by-step procedure for putting eye drops
- Newborn babies are usually placed on their backs; older children can have eye drops placed in a sitting position.
- Using your fingers, spread the eyelids as follows: with your index finger, pull the eyelid slightly upward, and with your thumb, with a cotton pad placed under it, pull the lower eyelid slightly down.
- With your free hand, use a pipette to inject 1-2 drops of the medicine into the inside of the lower eyelid (or closer to the temporal corner of the eye, or closer to the nose).
- Hold your hand on the closed eyelid for a short time so that the child does not open it. This will increase the effectiveness of the medicine.
- Rub the eye with light movements in the direction from the temple to the nose.
Watch a video on how to put drops in a child's eyes:
Note to moms!
Hello girls) I didn’t think that the problem of stretch marks would affect me too, and I’ll also write about it))) But there’s nowhere to go, so I’m writing here: How did I get rid of stretch marks after childbirth? I will be very glad if my method helps you too...
On this topic:
Place drops in the ear
- Pre-clean the ear canal with a cotton swab.
- Place the child on his side, with the affected ear facing up.
- Take a few drops of medicine. Remember: the medicine for instillation in the ears must be warm.
- Pull the auricle down slightly and perpendicular to the head.
- Place as many drops into your ear as prescribed by your doctor and cover it with cotton wool for a while.
Video on how to properly place drops in a child’s ears:
Putting medicine in the nose
You can bury drops in the nose of small children in a lying position, half-sitting or sitting with their head thrown back. This procedure is best done with an assistant.
- Pre-clean your infant's nasal passages of mucus using a small syringe. For older children, it is enough to blow their nose ( Read
). - Place a small amount of medication into a pipette.
- When instilling the left half of the nose, tilt the child's head to the right and vice versa.
- Inject 2-3 drops into the nose, being careful not to touch the nasal passage with the pipette, so as not to cause pain if the child makes a sudden movement.
- Leave the baby's head in the same position for a short time so that the medicine is evenly distributed throughout the nasal mucosa.
- Also instill drops into the other nasal passage.
See the article on how to properly bury a newborn's nose
—
Infants often suffer from eye diseases. As a result, it is necessary to know how to properly apply eye drops to a child. Children do not like such procedures. The medicine can sting the eyes, and the baby closes his eyes, gets angry, becomes capricious and begins to struggle. Therefore, this question is relevant.
How to properly apply eye drops to a small child?
You can't explain to small children the need to put eye drops in their eyes, so you'll need a helper. Swaddle the baby's arms and place him on the table. Have an assistant fix the head by placing his palm on his forehead. You need to hold it gently but firmly and be prepared that your head may jerk. This should not be allowed under any circumstances, because the baby may injure himself.
First, clean your eyes. Remove purulent crusts with furatsilin solution, directing the cotton wool from the outer edge of the eyelashes to the inner. A clean cotton swab is used for each eyelid.
Then, slightly pulling the lower eyelid down, drop 1-2 drops into the area of the inner corner of the eye. Let your baby blink, then move on to the other eye. After this, be sure to rinse the pipette.
Algorithm for instilling drops into the eyes of a baby
If you have already taken precautions and prepared all the necessary supplies for the procedure, you can proceed with it. The technique of putting drops into the baby’s eyes is very simple and boils down to the following:
- place the baby on a flat surface (table, sofa, bed);
- clean the child's eyes with cotton;
- With your left thumb (if you are right-handed), pull down the patient’s lower eyelid so that the eye opens and the conjunctiva is visible;
- drop one or two drops of the solution into the conjunctival sac;
- when the baby closes his eye, blot the eyelid with cotton;
- use a swab to remove excess medication that flows out along with the tears;
- repeat all these manipulations to treat the second eye.
After the procedure, tightly close the bottle of medicine, rinse the pipette and wash your hands. Putting drops into the eyes of children is not such a complicated process. It is important to maintain hygiene and consistency of actions. Difficulties arise if the child resists. This often happens to children over three years old. They may become frightened and try to interfere with the burial.
How to properly apply eye drops to an older child?
Older children already understand the persuasion of adults, but even the smartest child may not like this procedure and will begin to resist. Then one adult will have to hold hands, and the other will drip. However, you must remember that such violence, although necessary at times, will only bring stress to the child. First, try to show how the eyes of a doll or a bear are dripping.
Schoolchildren can use eye drops while sitting. The principle is the same: clean the eye of pus and crusts, then pull back the lower eyelid and drip the medicine.
Putting drops in baby's eyes
Wash your hands thoroughly and swaddle your baby - this way he won’t be able to wiggle around, which means he won’t bother you. If your eyelashes are stuck together, rinse your eyes and remove any crusts. To remove crusts, use plain water (it should be warm) and a cotton pad. You need to move in the direction from the temple to the nose. Use a separate cotton pad for each eye.
Standard droppers are not suitable for infants - to avoid injuring the eyes, use a pipette with a rounded end.
Place a child aged three years and older in a crib and remove the pillow. Ask your son or daughter to help you - this will distract him from unpleasant manipulations. The most “sure” help is to give the baby two cotton pads and ask him to hold them at the outer corners of his eyes. Then gently pull back the lower eyelid and drop the medicine. That's all - if the drops do not bake or cause a burning sensation, discomfort during the procedure will be minimal.
Is your baby afraid and closing his eyes? Do not try to open them by force and do not scold your child. It’s better to drop a drop into the area of the lacrimal sac - it will open the eyes, and the medicine itself will go where it is needed.
What if the medicine doesn't get into the eye?
If the baby is excited and turns his head a lot, the drug may leak out. But even with the eyelids closed, the medicine can be dropped into the inner corner of the eye, where the duct of the lacrimal gland opens. The next time the child blinks, the drops will penetrate the cornea. Perhaps the dosage will be slightly less than what the doctor prescribed, but it is still better than nothing.
It’s not difficult to put eye drops into your baby’s eyes correctly; any mother can do it. The main thing is to remain calm and sterile so as not to introduce another infection or transfer it from one eye to another.
Putting medicine in the nose
- For small children, it is convenient to bury the nose when the baby is lying on his back. However, the procedure is carried out when the child is in a reclining position, and even when sitting with his head thrown back.
- It is better to bury the nose together to avoid injuries that may occur due to sudden movements of the baby. The assistant must hold the toddler.
- Before instillation, the nasal cavity is cleaned using a small syringe. Older children can simply blow their nose.
- When instilling drops into the left nostril, the child's head is tilted to the right. Otherwise, it's the other way around.
- After filling the pipette with the drug, place its tip in the prepared nostril and inject a few drops. You should hold the baby's head so as not to damage the baby's mucous membranes and cause pain.
- You should hold the baby in this position for some time (one minute is enough) so that the drops can spread to the nasal mucosa.
- After this, you can proceed to instillation of another nasal opening.
The bottle of medicine should be stored tightly in the refrigerator. Do not use medications after the expiration date, as the medications may lose their healing power. The procedures must be carried out very carefully so as not to cause not only physical, but also psychological trauma to the child. If possible, you should use the services of an assistant, which will reduce your own fears and eliminate mistakes during procedures. A calm mother means a healthy baby!