Applying eye ointment correctly takes a little practice, but the technique is straightforward once you know the steps. The key is pulling down your lower eyelid to create a small pocket, squeezing a thin ribbon of ointment along the inside of that pocket, and then keeping your eye closed briefly to let the medication spread. Here’s exactly how to do it, along with tips for children, storage, and what to expect afterward.
Step-by-Step Application
Start by washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water. This is the single most important step for preventing infection. Even a small amount of bacteria transferred from your fingers to the tube tip or your eye can cause problems.
Remove the cap from the tube and set it on a clean surface with the opening facing up. If the tube is brand new, you may need to pierce the seal with the pointed tip of the cap. Hold the tube between your thumb and fingers like a pen, keeping it close to (but not touching) your eye.
Tilt your head back slightly or lie down, whichever feels more stable. With the index finger of your free hand, gently pull your lower eyelid downward to form a small pouch. Look up toward the ceiling. This moves your cornea out of the way and exposes the pink inner lining of your lower lid, which is where the ointment should go.
Squeeze a thin strip of ointment, roughly 1 centimeter (about half an inch), along the inside of that lower eyelid pouch. Start from the inner corner near your nose and move outward. Twist the tube slightly as you pull it away to cleanly break off the ribbon of ointment. Do not let the tube tip touch your eye, eyelashes, or skin. If it does make contact, the tip is now contaminated. For a personal-use tube, wipe the tip with a clean tissue; in a clinical setting, contaminated bottles or tubes are typically discarded immediately.
Close your eye gently (don’t squeeze it shut) and roll your eyeball around slowly behind the closed lid. This helps the ointment spread across the surface of your eye. Keep your eye closed for one to two minutes. You can lightly press one finger against the inner corner of your eye, near the bridge of your nose, to prevent the medication from draining into your tear duct and down your throat.
Wipe away any excess ointment from around your eye with a clean tissue. Replace the cap on the tube right away.
If You Also Use Eye Drops or Gels
Order matters when you’re using multiple eye medications. Always apply drops first, then gels, then ointment last. The reason is simple: ointment is thick and greasy, and it creates a coating over the eye’s surface. If you put drops in after the ointment, the coating blocks the drops from being absorbed properly.
If you’re using more than one type of eye drop, wait 5 to 10 minutes between each one. This gives each medication time to absorb before the next one washes it away. After your last drop, wait at least 5 minutes before applying the ointment.
Expect Temporary Blurred Vision
Eye ointment will blur your vision. This is completely normal. The greasy base that makes ointment effective at keeping medication on the eye’s surface also distorts light passing through to your retina. The blur typically lasts 10 to 15 minutes, but heavier applications can cause blurred vision for several hours. Because of this, driving or operating machinery is not recommended for several hours after application. Many people find it most practical to apply ointment right before bed, when blurred vision won’t interfere with anything.
Applying Ointment to a Child
Young children and babies rarely cooperate with anything going near their eyes, so the technique requires some adaptation. The basic approach is the same: pull down the lower eyelid gently to form a pouch and squeeze a small ribbon of ointment inside. But getting to that point is the challenge.
For babies and toddlers, wrapping them snugly in a blanket or sheet keeps their arms from grabbing at your hands. Even with the blanket, you’ll likely need a second person to help. One person can hold the child steady while the other applies the ointment. If the child squeezes their eyes shut (and they will), you’ll need to gently ease the eyelids apart using your thumb and index finger on the upper and lower lids simultaneously. Be very gentle here. Do not press on the eyeball itself.
For slightly older children who understand instructions but are still nervous, having them lie down and look up at a ceiling sticker or toy can help. Pulling the lower lid down and applying the ointment quickly while they’re focused on something else often works better than lengthy explanations.
Keeping the Tube Clean and Effective
The tube tip is the weak point for contamination. Never touch it with your fingers, never let it rest against your eye or eyelashes, and always recap it immediately after use. Store the tube at room temperature unless the label specifies refrigeration. Some ointments flow more easily when slightly warm; you can roll the tube between your palms for 30 seconds before use to soften the ointment.
Once opened, most eye ointments should be discarded after 28 days, even if there’s product remaining in the tube. This is the standard recommendation from pharmaceutical manufacturers because sterility can’t be guaranteed beyond that window. Mark the date you opened the tube on the box or the tube itself so you don’t lose track. Unopened tubes follow the expiration date printed on the packaging.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using too much ointment. A half-inch strip is enough. More than that doesn’t improve effectiveness and just increases blurriness and mess.
- Applying directly to the cornea. The ointment goes inside the lower eyelid pouch, not directly onto the clear front surface of your eye. Looking upward while you apply helps you avoid this.
- Blinking rapidly after application. This pushes ointment out of the eye before it can do its job. Close gently and keep the eye shut.
- Touching the tube tip to the eye. This transfers bacteria from your eye to the tube, contaminating the remaining medication for every future use.
- Applying ointment before drops. If you use both, drops always go first. Ointment applied first creates a barrier that blocks absorption of anything applied afterward.