What to Do If You've Used Expired Eye Drops by Mistake

What to Do if You've Accidentally Used Expired Eye Drops

Eye drops are medicated ophthalmic solutions used to treat various conditions affecting the eyes. They help relieve symptoms like redness, irritation, dryness, and inflammation. Eye drops typically have a printed expiration date, after which they are no longer considered safe or effective to use.

However, mistakes happen. You may accidentally grab an old bottle of eye drops from the medicine cabinet and put a few drops in your eyes before realizing they have expired. This raises the natural question - what should you do if you've inadvertently used expired eye drops?

How Eye Drops Work

To understand the risks of using expired eye drops, it helps to first understand how they work. There are several main types of medicated eye drops:

• Anti-redness drops - Contain vasoconstrictors to reduce reddened eyes.
• Lubricating drops - Hydrate dry eyes using water, lipids, or gels.
• Anti-allergy drops - Block histamines that cause itchy, watery eyes.
• Antibiotic drops - Treat bacterial infections with topical antibiotics.
• Steroid drops - Reduce eye inflammation using corticosteroids.

These medicated drops work by delivering active ingredients into the eye to achieve localized effects. However, the drug potency and sterility can decline over time after opening.

Why Eye Drops Expire

All medications eventually lose their effectiveness. For eye drops, potency depends on:

• Drug stability - Active ingredients degrade over time.
• Preservative function - Prevents growth of bacteria and fungi.
• Dropper integrity - Dropper tip can allow contamination.
• Storage conditions - Heat, light, air degrade drugs.

Eye drop expiration dates account for these factors. While unopened drops stored properly may last years, opened bottles have much shorter shelf lives - typically 4 weeks once opened.

Using expired eye drops means you may get less of the active medicine. More concerning is compromised sterility, raising infection risk with use.

Dangers of Using Expired Eye Drops

Injecting anything into the eye carries inherent risks. Using expired eye drops heightens the chance of the following problems:

• Medication ineffectiveness - Degraded drug won't relieve symptoms as well.
• Eye irritation - Oxidized or improperly preserved drops can irritate.
• Eye infections - Bacterial contamination can occur without preservatives.
• Vision changes - Blurry vision, light sensitivity due to toxicity or allergy.
• Permanent eye damage - Severe infection or inflammation can scar eye tissue.

Some pre-existing eye conditions may further increase susceptibility to complications from contaminated eye drops.

While adverse reactions are rare, it's best not to take chances with your vision. Heed expiration dates and talk to your optometrist or pharmacist if you have questions about eye drop safety.

What to Do If You've Used Expired Eye Drops

Accidentally using expired eye drops likely won't cause major issues in most cases. However, certain steps should be taken to promote eye health and monitor for problems:

Rinse Your Eyes

Upon realizing expired eye drops were used, the first step is to rinse them out. Wash your hands thoroughly, then flush the affected eye(s) using clean water or a sterile saline solution. This helps clear out any degraded medication or contaminants.

Watch for Signs of Reaction

Monitor the eyes closely over the next 24 hours for any worrying symptoms, including:

• Eye pain or discomfort
• Redness
• Itching
• Swelling
• Excessive tearing or discharge
• Vision changes
• Sensitivity to light
• Feeling something trapped in the eye

Severe symptoms like eye pain, blurry vision, or light sensitivity may indicate a significant reaction necessitating medical care.

Call Your Eye Doctor

If any concerning eye symptoms develop after using expired drops, call your ophthalmologist or optometrist right away. Describe the situation and symptoms. They may advise you to come in for an urgent eye exam to check for infection, inflammation, or corneal damage.

If they determine the expired eye drops caused issues, they can provide medicated eyedrops or ointments to help resolve any reaction.

See Your Doctor If Infectious Symptoms Occur

While rare, contaminated eye drops could potentially cause an eye infection. Seek medical attention promptly if you notice any of the following infectious symptoms:

• Pus draining from the eye
• Fever or chills
• Severely reduced vision
• Extreme eye pain, light sensitivity

A doctor can check for corneal ulceration and prescribe antibiotic eyedrops or oral antibiotics if an infection is suspected.

Use Lubricating Drops

To soothe the eyes and prevent drying out, use over-the-counter lubricating eyedrops without preservatives 2-3 times per day after expired drop exposure. This provides hydration and washes out any residual contaminants.

Avoid Eye Irritants

After using expired medicated eye drops, it's best to avoid anything else that could further irritate the eyes. Steer clear of eye makeup, contact lenses, chemical fumes, blowing dust, swimming, and rubbing your eyes until you're sure there is no worrisome reaction.

Discard the Old Eye Drops

If you discover you've accidentally used eye drops past their expiry date, discard them to prevent anyone else from using the contaminated product. Also get in the habit of regularly checking expiration dates on eye drops and tossing any that have surpassed their shelf life.

Preventing Expired Eye Drop Use

Using expired eye medications can be easily avoided by taking a few simple precautions:

Check Expiry Before Use

Get in the routine of always checking the expiration date printed on the bottle before using any eye drops. If expired, throw them away before mistakenly dosing your eyes.

Mark Date Opened on Bottle

When opening a new bottle of eye drops, immediately write the date you opened it on the label. This allows you to monitor how long it's been open to ensure you observe the discard after date.

Don't Stockpile Eye Drops

Avoid stockpiling bottles of eye drops. Purchase them as needed and in small quantities. The more bottles you have, the greater the chances you grab an expired one by accident.

Don't Decant into Secondary Containers

Never transfer eye drops into other containers like travel bottles. Only keep and use them in the original packaging so you can reference drug name, dosage, and expiry.

Store Drops Properly

Keep eye drops away from direct sunlight and heat to maintain drug potency and sterility for the full life of the product.

Learn Shelf Life After Opening

Understand that once opened, eye drops only remain good for a short period - typically around 4 weeks. Toss opened bottles after 1 month.

Don't Use if Discolored or Cloudy

Eye drops should look clear and colorless. Discard any bottles where the solution appears discolored, cloudy, or contains particles - this indicates contamination.

Consider Single-Use Vials

Single-use vials ensure eye drop sterility, though cost more. They eliminate contamination risk from a reusable bottle.

Special Considerations by Eye Drop Type

Certain kinds of eye drops may warrant extra precautions if you accidentally use expired products.

Antibiotic Eye Drops

Outdated antibiotic eye drops pose higher infection risk if contaminated. Seek urgent medical attention for symptoms like eye discharge or pain. You may need evaluation for corneal ulcer and alternative antibiotic treatment.

Steroid Eye Drops

Expired steroid eye drops are more likely to cause immune reactions resulting in redness, itching, and swelling. Avoid using other steroid products until cleared by an ophthalmologist.

Preservative-Free Drops

Preservative-free eye drops rely strictly on sterility for safety. If contaminated, flush eyes and monitor closely for signs of infection like discharge or vision changes.

Medicated Eye Ointments

Ointments typically have shorter shelf lives than drops. Reactions may include blurred vision and eyelid swelling. See an optometrist if symptoms occur.

When to Seek Emergency Care

In rare cases, using expired medicated eye drops can warrant emergency care. Go to an ER, urgent care, or eye hospital immediately if you experience:

• Sudden, severe eye pain
• Significantly reduced vision
• Eye injury from rubbing due to pain/irritation
• Pus or bloody discharge from the eye
• Swelling of eyelids and surrounding tissues
• Symptoms in both eyes, even if only one eye exposed

These indicators can signal a medical emergency like corneal ulcer, glaucoma, uveitis, or eye infection requiring prompt treatment to prevent permanent vision impairment.

The Takeaway

Using expired medicated eye drops is never recommended, but accidents do happen. Should you mistakenly administer out-of-date eye drops, rinse the eyes thoroughly and monitor for any adverse reactions.

Most common symptoms like redness, itching, and irritation aren't emergencies. However, severe eye pain, discharge, or vision changes warrant prompt medical care. With proper follow up, long-term vision damage from expired eye drop exposure is unlikely.

Be vigilant about expiration dates, storage conditions, and signs of contamination with eye drops. Discard immediately if you suspect they are expired or unfit for use. Practicing good eye drop hygiene ensures you get the most efficacy and minimal risk from these ophthalmic medications.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.