1. Remember to wash your hands before applying eye drops to avoid infection through hand contact. After applying eye drops (or ointment), your fingers may get some drops or tears on them, so it's best to wash your hands again.
2. When applying eye drops, tilt your head back as far as possible or lie flat. Use your index finger to pull down your lower eyelid and separate it from your eyeball.
3. Aim the eye drop bottle nozzle at your eye and place the drop into the conjunctival fornix. One or two drops of eye drops are sufficient; for eye ointment, squeeze out about one centimeter. Because the surface area of the eyeball is limited, and tears drain quickly through the nasolacrimal duct, maximizing the contact time between the eye drops and the eyeball surface is crucial. Note that the dropper nozzle should not touch your eye or eyelashes to prevent contamination. Replace the cap immediately after applying the drops.
4. Close your eyes for at least five minutes without blinking, and gently press the inner corner of your eye along the nasolacrimal duct for at least two minutes to slow down the drainage of the eye drops.
5. Before opening your eyes, wipe away any unabsorbed eye drops or tears around your eyes with a tissue or handkerchief.
6. If you need to use two or three types of eye drops, wait five to ten minutes between each type. If you need to use both eye drops and eye ointment, apply the eye drops first, then wait five minutes before applying the eye ointment.
7. If family members or colleagues are around, try to apply the eye drops yourself to avoid contamination from their hands. Of course, if both of you have washed your hands and maintained good hygiene, it's better to have someone else help you to prevent minor issues like misplaced drops.