You might be surprised to learn that you may not be getting the maximum benefits from the eye drop medication used to treat your glaucoma. The good news is that there are some simple techniques you can use to ensure that you are getting the best results from your eye drop medication.

Here are three proven techniques to help you get the most out of your glaucoma medication:

Technique #1: The One Drop at a Time Technique

If your prescription states that you need to place two drops into each of your eyes, then you need to do this one drop at a time. More than one drop at a time will just flood your eye with liquid and it will run down the side of your nose. This is a waste of the medication and it is a waste of your money as well.

To get the correct dosage of your medication, place one drop at a time into each of your eyes. Allow the medication to have time to absorb before you apply the second drop into your eye. 

Technique #2: The Post-Drop Closed Eye Technique

Right after you place each drop of glaucoma medication into your eye, close your eyelid and place your clean fingertip over the tear duct next to your nose. Closing your eye and blocking its tear duct helps give your glaucoma medication time to absorb into your eyeball as it is designed to do. Leaving your eye open allows the eye drops to evaporate more quickly and this means you will get less of the medication effect.

Technique #3: The Dropper Safety Technique

When you are placing drops into your eye, you should always ensure that the tip of the dropper doesn't come into contact with your eye or with your fingers. If any part of your body comes into contact with the tip of the dropper, it will contaminate it with infection-causing bacteria. The bacteria will multiply on the end of the dropper when you place it in storage. This bacteria will drop down into your eye the next time you use the drops and it can cause a serious eye infection.

Conclusion

To help preserve your future sight, it is important to get the most from the eye drop medication you use to treat your glaucoma. For additional information about the proper use of your medication, you should speak with your optometrist or a pharmacist in your local area.