Tips for the Glaucoma Patient

Remembering Your Eye Drop Schedule:

Managing your daily glaucoma medications is extremely important for preserving your vision. Try to incorporate taking your glaucoma drops into your daily routine. The following tips may help:

• Place a sticky note on your bathroom mirror.
  
  
• Put your drops by your nightstand, near your toothbrush, or with your morning coffee cup.
  
  
• Ask your spouse to help you.
  
  
• Label your bottles if you take more than one medicated drop.

Putting Drops into Your Eyes:

It becomes a challenge for some glaucoma patients to get their drops safely into their eyes. Try these tips:

• Ask your pharmacist about special devices designed to help put drops into the eye.
  
  
• Store your eye drops in the refrigerator, if your doctor approves. This way, you’ll feel when the drops hit your eye.
  
  
• Wash your hands first.
  
  
• To prevent bacterial growth and infections, don't touch the tip of the bottle to your eye or other surfaces.
  
  
• Rest your hand on your cheek to keep it in proper position.
  
  
• Stand close to a mirror so that you can see your eye.
  
  
• Try not to squeeze your eye too much. This could squeeze out the drops.
  
  
  

  Having Eye Pressure Checks:

  You will become very accustomed to having your eye pressure checked, as your eye doctor will want to keep close tabs on it. Here are a few tips to remember:

  • Relax.
    
    
  • Open your eye as wide as you can.
    
    
  • Don't hold your breath.
    
    
  • Don't slouch or stretch your neck to reach the measuring device.
    
    
  • Ask for a second reading if you feel you need it.
    
    
  • Don’t worry about the exact number of your eye pressure. This is only one part of your treatment. Your doctor is well-trained to interpret your results and manage your condition.

  Taking a Visual Field Test:

  Some people become nervous when taking a visual field test. Relax and keep the following tips in mind:

  • Don't worry about getting every point exactly right. The computer is smart enough to recheck certain spots.
    
    
  • Do not repeatively hit the push button, hoping to improve your score. The computer is smart enough to understand this, too.
    
    
  • Make sure you are comfortable in the chair and your head and neck are in a comfortable position.
    
    
  • Focus on the center light carefully, but remember to blink as much as you need to.

    _{Source: Glaucoma Service Foundation to Prevent Blindness, Glaucoma Tips. WillsGlaucoma.org, 2007.}