Editing Eye drop (section)

{{Short description|Liquid applied directly to the eye}}
{{For|the television show|Eye Drops}}
{{See also|Ophthalmic drug administration}}
[[File:Eye drop.jpg|thumb|Eye drops being applied]]
[[File:Ocuheel Medication.jpg|thumb|These eye drops are packaged for single use, without preservatives]]

'''Eye drops''' or '''eyedrops''' are [[liquid drops]] applied directly to the surface of the [[Human eye|eye]] usually in small amounts such as a single drop or a few drops. Eye drops usually contain [[saline (medicine)|saline]] to match the [[salinity]] of the eye. Drops containing only saline and sometimes  a lubricant are often used as artificial [[tears]] to treat [[dry eyes]] or simple [[eye irritation]] such as itching or [[Eye redness|redness]]. Eye drops may also contain one or more medications to treat a wide variety of [[eye diseases]]. Depending on the condition being treated, they may contain [[steroids]], [[antihistamine]]s, [[sympathomimetic]]s, [[Beta blocker|beta receptor blocker]]s, [[parasympathomimetic]]s, [[parasympatholytic]]s, [[prostaglandin]]s, [[nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug]]s (NSAIDs), [[antibiotic]]s, [[Antifungal medication|antifungals]], or [[topical anesthetic]]s.

Eye drops have less of a risk of side effects than do oral medicines, and such risk can be minimized by occluding the [[lacrimal punctum]] (i.e. pressing on the inner corner of the eye) for a short while after instilling drops.

Prior to the development of single-use pre-loaded sterile plastic applicators, eye drops were administered using an [[eye dropper]], a glass pipette with a rubber bulb.