Why do eye drops sting when you put them in?

Eye drops can sting for a few everyday reasons: a cold drop landing on a warm eye, an eye that’s already irritated reacting to anything at all, a bottle tip that touched something, or residue on your fingers. A brief sting that fades as you blink is different from one that persists. Stinging that keeps going, pain or any change in vision means stop and ask a doctor.

Why do eye drops sting at first?

The front surface of the eye is very sensitive, and it notices anything new: a change in temperature, a change in moisture, a drop hitting the clear front of the eye directly. Some people feel a quick sting with any drop and none a moment later. The common causes are easy to check one at a time.

A cold bottle

A drop straight from a cold car, a chilly bathroom or the refrigerator can feel sharp on a warm eye. Quell’s label gives a storage range rather than telling you to refrigerate: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). A bottle kept in that range, in a drawer or a bag, reaches the eye at a comfortable temperature. If yours has been somewhere cold, hold it in your closed hand for a minute before using it. Should eye drops be refrigerated? covers this in more detail.

An eye that’s already irritated

When your eyes are dry, tired or irritated from wind, smoke or a long day at a screen, the surface is more sensitive than usual, and almost anything placed on it can sting for a moment. That’s often why the same drops feel fine some mornings and sting on others. If the sting fades quickly and the eye feels better afterward, that pattern is familiar to a lot of people. If the sting comes with pain or doesn’t fade, it’s a different matter.

Something on the tip or your fingers

A dropper tip that brushed an eyelash, a counter or the inside of a bag can carry something into the eye with the next drop. So can fingers with soap, lotion, hand sanitizer, sunscreen or makeup on them. The label’s rule is clear: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.

• Wash and dry your hands before using drops, and let sanitizer dry fully if you use it.
• Hold the bottle above the eye without letting the tip touch your eye, lid or lashes.
• Replace the cap right away and keep the bottle in a clean place.
• If the tip touched something, call Quell at 615.465.6041, M–F 9AM–5PM CST, or ask a pharmacist what to do with that bottle.

Why you should never touch the bottle tip explains the reasoning.

Why do eye drops burn sometimes?

A few other things can turn a sting into a burn:

• The wrong bottle. Ear drops, nasal sprays and contact lens solutions can look similar. Read the label before every use; Quell’s says: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only.
• A changed product. Quell is normally milky brown. The eye drops have a naturally milky-brown appearance. This is normal and does not indicate a problem with the product. The label’s “do not use” line reads: If this product changes color.
• Contact lenses. Quell’s label doesn’t give directions for use with contact lenses; ask your eye doctor before using any drop with them.
• Other drops. The label doesn’t cover using it together with other eye drops either, so ask your eye doctor or pharmacist about spacing or combining them.
• An ingredient you react to. The label cautions people with egg or bird allergies, because the formula contains emu oil.

Do preservative-free drops sting less?

Preservatives such as benzalkonium chloride are a common source of irritation for people who use drops several times a day, and Quell contains no preservatives. That removes one possible cause, but it doesn’t mean no drop will ever sting, since temperature, an irritated eye and contamination still apply. The ingredients are listed in full on the Drug Facts page: active ingredients Glycerol (1.0%), Polysorbate 80 (1.0%) and Light Mineral Oil (0.5%); inactive ingredients Caprylyl Glycol, Dead Sea Salt (Sodium Chloride), Emu Oil, Glyceryl Laurate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Manuka Honey, Polaxamer 188, Sterile Water, Terminalia Chubula and Tromethamine.

What to do when an eye drop stings

• Close your eye gently and blink a few times. Don’t rub it.
• Wait a minute. A sting from a cold drop or a dry eye usually passes as the drop spreads.
• Check the bottle: is it the right product, the right color, and was the tip clean?
• Keep to the directions: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. Adding extra drops won’t settle a sting.
• If stinging continues, or comes with pain, a change in vision or ongoing irritation, stop using it and contact a doctor.

When stinging means stop

The label is specific about when to 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. A sting that keeps coming back with every drop is also worth raising with an eye doctor or pharmacist, who can look at what’s going on; working that out isn’t something a bottle of drops can do. When to stop using eye drops has more.