When the pressure within an eye increases, it damages the optic nerve at the back of your eye. The condition is called glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye condition that results in loss of vision, when ignored. In case of an increased pressure without any damage to your optic nerves, it is called oculbar hypertension. Bimatoprost eye drops are used to treat the conditions of ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma. These eye drops boost the drainage fluid from the inside of your eye, thus lowering the pressure within the eye.

You can find variety of bimatoprost eye drops that are used to treat the condition. In this blog, we have mentioned all the details about bimatoprost eye drops – how to use it, precautions, side effects and more.

Thing to keep in mind before using bimatoprost eye drops

There are medicines which are not suitable for every individuals and needs to be taken with extra care. So, when you start the course of bimatoprost eye drops, keep these things in mind and make sure your doctor know about the conditions:

• If you had issues of viral eye infections in the past
• If you are breastfeeding or pregnant
• If you had eye surgery recently or removed/replaced lens (cataract removal)
• If you are suffering from breathing problems like COPD or asthma
• If you suffer from liver functioning or any kind of kidney problems
• If you are having an allergic reaction to a particular medicine
• If you are on any other eye medications or eye drops. It includes varieties of medicines without prescription, complementary and herbal medicines

Right ways to use bimatoprost eye drops

• Always wash your hands before using the eye drops
• If you are taking a single-use dose unit, remove its tip.
• Keep your head in a tilting position and pull your eye’s lower lid downwards, forming a pocket like structure
• Hold the single-use dose unit or eye drop bottle upside down over your eye. Remember not to touch your eye while doing this.
• Apply sufficient pressure to release a drop into your eye. Do not put more than one drop as it will lead to certain side-effects.
• Keep your eyes closed for a couple of minutes and apply gentle pressure on the side of your nose. The point where the corners of the eye meet. It helps to stop draining of the eye from the sides, enabling it to work better.
• With the same process, put a drop in the other eye, in case your doctor recommends it for both the yes. In case of a single-use dose units, there’s enough fluid for both the eyes
• Throw the unit away after use. If you are using a bottle of bimatoprost eye drops. Close the bottle and store in cool place.

Maximum benefits from the treatment

Here are a few points that will help you have the maximum benefits from the eye treatment using bimatoprost eye drops:

• Before using the medication, you should read the labeled information on the package. You will have all the information about the products and a manufacturer’s print provide a proper list of side-effects which you might encounter after use of the eye drops.
• Use one drop in the infected eye (eyes) one time in a day. Generally, your doctor will recommend you to use it in the evening.
• Make sure you use it regularly as prescribed. In case you forget, do not use extra dosage to make up the other day.
• If the eye drop runs down on your face, wipe it right away using a hanky or tissue.
• Depending on the variety of bimatoprost eye drop, you can put the eye drops with a difference of 5-10 minutes. In other words, wait for 5-10 minutes to put the eye drop in the other eye. It helps controlling the amount of liquid going into your eyes at a time.
• Make sure you don’t touch the tip of the bottle to your eyes while putting the eye drops. Do not even touch the bottle tip with your fingers or any other surface to prevent it from getting contaminated.
• In the first use, you might experience your eyes getting watery or sometimes it might also cause a blurred vision temporarily. However, make sure to indulge in activities like driving or nay other work linked to tools and machines, once you have a clear vision again.
• Go for regular appointments with your eye doctor to keep a check on the progress of the treatment.
• You shouldn’t use soft contact lenses unless your doctor advises you the same. The eye drops consists of preservatives which can damage the soft contact lenses. However, the single-dose units do not contain preservatives.

Side effects of bimatoprost eye drops

Bimatoprost eye drops can cause unexpected side effects, despite its useful benefits. However, not every individual experiences the side effects. You can look for any possible side effects on the manufacturer’s list that comes with the pack of the eye drops. Gradually, these side effects improve as your body starts adjusting with the medicine. It is essential to talk to your doctor or eye specialist if you notice any side effects.

Check out some of the common side effects of bimatoprost eye drops and how to deal with it:

• Headache: ask for a suitable painkiller to your doctor when you experience headache after using the medicine.
• Changes in the color of your eye’s iris: talk to your doctor to find a solution, as it can be a permanent change for some people.
• Pain, itching, irritation or redness of eye, darker skin around your eye lids, thicker or longer eye lashes: Talk to your doctor about these symptoms, if it doesn’t improve soon.
• Sensitivity to light: Start wearing sunglasses to reduce sensitivity.

In case of any of these symptoms you notice on using the eye drops, rush to your doctor immediately.

Storing bimatoprost eye drops

• Keep the medicine out of reach of your kids
• Store it in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight.
• You can use bottle eye drops for a month after the lid is open. If there’s some liquid left after a moth, avoid using it and get a new bottle. You can prevent eye infections this way.

In a nutshell

Bimatoprost eye drops are used to cure eye conditions like open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Find varietiess of bimatoprost eye drops that you can buy based on the prescription from your doctor.