Eye drops should be thrown away even if they have not expired for 4 weeks

After the eye drops are opened, the storage environment changes, and the efficacy will gradually weaken. In the process of use and storage, the liquid medicine may also be polluted by microorganisms in the air, which brings hidden dangers. If the use method is improper, the dripper will contact the cornea when dropping eye drops, and the risk of eye infection will be greater.

In order to prolong the life as much as possible, most eye drops on the market have added bacteriostatic agents (preservatives). However, bacteriostatic agents themselves will also affect the eyes, so they are all at a relatively safe concentration, at the cost of limited effect on prolonging the life of eye drops. At present, it is generally recommended in China that it is safer to use the eye drops within 4 weeks after opening. Foreign countries are gradually changing track and promoting disposable eye drops to solve this contradiction.

For people who don’t often use eye drops, it seems wasteful to discard them after 4 weeks. It is recommended that this group of people choose small, preservative free eye drops. The eyedrops in small bottles (0.4 ml and other specifications) mostly do not contain preservatives, but the price is slightly higher, and one bottle can be dropped up to 4 times.

In addition, because there is no bottle cap for small bottles, they are directly exposed to the air after opening, and must be dripped within a few hours. When using this kind of eye drops, you should pay attention to keeping it clean, so as not to contaminate the bottle mouth. If the surrounding sanitary conditions are poor and the air is dusty, it is not recommended to use such products.

Generally, the eye drops can be placed at room temperature. If it needs to be refrigerated, it should be handled according to the instructions. Wash your hands before applying eye drops to avoid infection. Eye drops should be dropped in the conjunctival sac between the lower eyelid and the eyeball. The bottle mouth should not touch the eyes. One or two drops at a time can be used. Close your eyes and press the lower corners of your eyes for 1-2 minutes after dropping the eye drops, which can prevent the liquid from entering the nasal cavity and oral cavity, causing bitter mouth and other systemic symptoms.