If you are having LASIK eye surgery this week, then it is important for you to know how to properly handle and use your post-procedure antibiotic eye drops. Since these prescription eye drops are intended to prevent an infection from starting in your eye's tissues in the days following surgery, it is vital that you use them safely and get the maximum health benefit from them. To this end, follow these tips for using your antibiotic eye drops:

Use a Sterile Procedure

Before you touch your eye drop bottle, first wash your hands well with antibiotic soap and warm water. Take extra care to clean the areas around your fingernails. This simple step prevents you from transferring bacteria and germs from your hands onto the bottle.

When you open the small bottle, make sure that you do not touch the dropper tip of the bottle that is located underneath the cap. To avoid touching the bottle's dropper tip, hold the bottle with one hand on each end and twist off the top.

Give Each Drop Time to Absorb Into Your Eyeball

If you need to place two drops into each eye from the same or different medications, then you need to allow a few minutes between drops and should alternate eyes. This time is necessary to allow each drop to properly absorb into your eye tissues. Without waiting between drops, you will not get the correct dosage of your medication and also will not receive the maximum health benefit.

Put the Cap on the Bottle ASAP

The more time that your antibiotic eye drops are open and the tip is exposed to the environment, then the more microscopic contaminants that will build up on it. These contaminants can lead to an infection in your eye as they pass from your eye medication bottle into your eyes with your medication drops. For this reason, put the top back on the bottle of your antibiotic eye drops as soon as you are done putting each drop into each one of your eyes.

Dispose of Unused Antibiotic Eye Drops 

Finally, after you are finished with your post-LASIK antibiotic eye drops, you need to dispose of any leftover medication. Using the same drops for a future eye issue is dangerous and can damage your sight. If you have a future eye problem, then you need to visit your doctor to obtain a new prescription for medication.

Contact a business like Morris Eyecare to learn more.

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