Overall, gels will be more effective than eye drops when used to treat more severe symptoms caused by dry eye. Eye ointments are drugs in a greasy, semisolid form that use your body warmth to make them melt.
Once you have applied an ointment to your eye, it will break into tiny drops which will accumulate between your eyeball and eyelid. This gives the medicine time to start working.
Ointments are typically more effective at treating symptoms than eye drops and can treat more symptoms when compared to gels. Similar to gels, ointments take more time to become effective and can cause blurry vision when they are applied. Most ointments will require a prescription , but more mild ointments like ones that can treat dry eye can be purchased over the counter.
Skip to content. Eye Drops vs. Gel vs. Book Appointment. Eye Drops Eye drops can relieve the symptoms of most eye problems including dry eye, pink eye, red eyes, or itchiness. Prescription Eye Drops Eye drops can typically be broken down into two different categories: non-prescription eye drops and prescription eye drops.
Non-prescription drops will often be effective enough to treat most symptoms and will usually cost less than their prescription counterparts.
There are two categories of non-prescription eye drops: Eyedrops with preservatives: This type of eye drop will often come in multidose bottles and contain preservatives that discourage the growth of bacteria. The preservatives contained in these drops may irritate your eyes, especially if you have moderate or severe dry eyes. Preservative-free eyedrops: This type of eye drop has fewer additives than drops with preservatives.
Author: Mary Shaw is senior lecturer at University of Manchester. This article has been double-blind peer reviewed Scroll down to read the article or download a print-friendly PDF including any tables and figures. Box 1.
Procedure for instilling eye drop Position the patient comfortably, either sitting or lying down semi-prone or recumbent with the head supported Wash hands before and after instilling eye drops to prevent cross infection and to remove drug residue from the hands Some local policies require that non-sterile gloves are used when instilling eye drops or ointment and that an aseptic non-touch technique is used for first postoperative dressing and application of eye drops Shaw et al, Cleaning the eye may be required, for example when there are crusty or purulent deposits on the eyelids.
Ideally, five minutes should elapse between administration of a different eye drop to achieve maximum therapeutic effect Andrews, Closed eye technique Alster et al recommended a technique for patients who find it difficult to have drops instilled directly into the eye, for example, children or older people: Ask the patient to lie flat or with their head tilted back Administer a drop of the medication onto the closed eyelid in the nasal corner Ask the patient to open the eye and close it gently once the drug has entered it.
Box 2. Procedure for applying eye ointment Establish what the eye ointment has been prescribed to treat — it may be for structures other than the eye, such as an eyelid wound Wash hands before and after applying ointment, to prevent cross infection and to remove drug residue Some local policies require that non-sterile gloves are used when instilling routine eye ointments and that an aseptic non-touch technique is used for the first post-operative dressing and application of eye ointment Shaw et al, If prescribed for the eye itself, instil a thin ribbon of the ointment into the lower fornix then ask the patient to close the eye The ointment may take a few moments to melt and spread over the eye.
Initially, it may cause some blurring of the vision Wipe the excess from the eyelids Normally, when a patient is prescribed eye ointment, it is necessary to clean the eyelids before the next treatment is applied If patients are applying their own ointment but find the ribbon technique awkward, suggest they squeeze a blob of the ointment into the lower fornix.
Key points Eye drops and ointments are prescribed to treat acute or long-term eye conditions Topical eye medications are subject to the same standards as drugs given by other routes Interactions can occur between different types of eye drops and also with drugs delivered by other routes Systemic absorption of eye drops and ointments occurs via the conjunctival blood vessels or the nasal mucosa Eye drop dispensing aids can help patients to self-medicate.
Alster Y et al Intraocular penetration of vancomycin eye drops after application to the medial canthus with closed lids. British Journal of Ophthalmology ; 3, Andrews S Pharmacology. In: Marsden J. Ophthalmic Care. Chichester: Whurr Publishers. Manchester: Central Manchester FT. Chichester: Wiley. Marsden J, Shaw M Correct administration of topical eye treatment. Nursing Standard ; 9: 17, London: RCN. Shaw ME et al Ophthalmic Nursing.
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The cause of the infection is important. Most eye ointments for infections are antibiotics. One exception is acyclovir , an antiviral ointment used to treat eye infections caused by the herpes simplex virus. Antibiotic eye ointments work by targeting and killing bacteria. In the case of pink eye, for example, antibiotic eye ointments are only used to treat bacterial pink eye.
Doctors usually prescribe eye ointments for overnight use. Some of the most common ointments used to treat bacterial eye infections include:. These drugs generally require a prescription. However, other forms of the same antibiotics may be available over the counter OTC. Depending on the type of infection, severity, and your age, your doctor may start with other treatments first.
Styes are red, painful bumps that appear around the edges of eyelids. They tend to feel sore, swollen, or itchy. Styes develop from blocked sweat glands or hair follicles around the eye. They usually go away on their own, but you can use home remedies to relieve symptoms. For a more persistent stye, you might need eye drops or a prescription for an antibiotic eye ointment, like those listed above for eye infections.
As the name suggests, dry eyes refer to poorly lubricated eyes. This syndrome occurs from a lack of tears, or poor-quality tears. Eye drops are the most common treatment for dry eyes. OTC gels and ointments are recommended for overnight use. Some of these products include:. They contain lubricants like mineral oil or white petrolatum. Dry eyes can also increase your risk for an eye infection.
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