How to put in eye drops without flinching

To put in eye drops without flinching, tilt your head back, look up at a fixed point on the ceiling, gently pull down your lower lid to make a pocket, rest your bottle hand on your forehead, and squeeze one drop into the pocket rather than onto the center of your eye. Looking away from the bottle and aiming low takes away most of the reflex.

Why you flinch

Blinking when something comes toward your eye is a protective reflex, and nearly everyone has it. Watching the bottle tip approach makes it stronger. So does a drop landing on the most sensitive part of the eye, the clear center, and a drop that’s colder than your eye. Each step below works around one of those triggers.

Step by step: putting in eye drops without flinching

• Wash your hands and dry them.
• Check the bottle. The label’s “Do not use” line reads: If this product changes color. Its other information notes: Product appears as a milky brown solution.
• Sit or stand with your head tilted back, or lie down flat.
• Pick a spot on the ceiling and look at it. Don’t watch the bottle.
• With your other hand, gently pull your lower eyelid down to form a small pocket.
• Rest the hand holding the bottle on your forehead or the bridge of your nose so it can’t drift.
• Hold the tip above the pocket without letting it touch your eye, lashes or skin.
• Squeeze gently until one drop falls into the pocket.
• Let go of your lid, close your eye softly and keep it closed for a moment. Don’t squeeze it shut.
• Repeat for the other eye.

Aim for the pocket, not the center

The center of the eye is the most sensitive part, and a drop landing there is what most people flinch at. The pocket formed by your lower lid is much less sensitive. A drop there spreads across the eye when you close it and blink, so you don’t need to hit the middle. If you look up at the ceiling, your lower lid area is naturally exposed and the drop lands where it should.

Steady the bottle

Shaky hands make people pull the bottle closer, and a closer bottle is scarier. Bracing helps:

• Rest the side of your hand or your little finger on your forehead or cheek.
• Hold the bottle between your thumb and two fingers, not your whole fist.
• If one hand isn’t enough, use the other hand’s fingers on your cheek to pull the lid and steady your wrist.
• Practice the motion with the cap on until it feels routine.

Keep the tip clean throughout. The label says: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination. If the tip touches your eye or lashes, that’s the contamination the label warns about; see why you should never touch the bottle tip.

Lying down, and using a mirror

Lying flat on a bed or couch puts your eye directly under the bottle and stops your head from tipping forward. Many people find it the easiest position. Others do better standing at a bathroom mirror, which lets you see the bottle and lid without having to look at the tip directly. Try both and keep the one that works for you.

If the drop feels cold

A drop straight from a cold car or a chilly room can feel startling. The label gives a storage range, Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F), and room temperature is within it. Holding the closed bottle in your hand for a minute before use warms it slightly. Don’t refrigerate a bottle unless the label says to; Quell’s doesn’t.

Missed the eye? What the label says

Quell’s directions are: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. A drop that clearly ran down your cheek didn’t go in your eye. If you’re unsure how to count a missed drop, or you often miss, a pharmacist can watch you once and suggest a better angle. Our guide to using eye drops as directed covers the full routine.

If you still can’t do it

Some people never fully lose the reflex. Having a partner put the drop in can help, as long as their hands are washed and they follow the same steps. The label doesn’t give directions for children; ask their doctor or pharmacist before using drops on a child. If drops sting, see why eye drops sting. If your eye is painful or vision changes, stop: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours.