Accidentally Put Ear Drops In My Eye

Answer

What occurred to you is, unfortunately, a common medication administration error. While eye drops can, in many cases, be placed in the ears, ear drops should never be placed in the eyes. Doing so will likely cause significant irritation and other similar side effects.

Why You Shouldn't Use Ear Drops In The Eyes

The main reason ear drops shouldn't be used in the eye is that eye drops must be sterile, while ear drops aren't required to be (even though some are). Using a non-sterile product in the eyes, such as Cipro HC, can increase the risk of infection.

Additionally, the tissue in the eyes is far more sensitive than ear tissue, and eye drops are specifically formulated to be at a particular pH, consistency, and tonicity (i.e., salinity) to minimize irritation. Ear drops tend to be far more acidic (low pH) than eye drops, and this is one of the main reasons administering ear drops in the eyes burns.

Eye Drops Can Be Used In The Ear

As mentioned, eye drops can be used in the ears, and they are fairly commonly prescribed this way.

Eye drops are often less expensive than comparable ear drop formulations and there are a wider variety of eye drops, with different drug combinations, available to choose from.

Prescription Ear Drops Vs. Eye Drops

To summarize the main difference between prescription ear drops and eye drops:

• Eye drops must be sterile. Ear drops do not have to be sterile (some are, and some are not)
• Ear drops are generally more acidic than eye drops and are more viscous
• Eye drops are formulated to have a specific tonicity
• Eye drops can often be used in the ears while ear drops should never be used in the eyes
  

What To Do If You Put Ear Drops In The Eye

If you have put ear drops in your eyes, you'll likely experience side effects, such as:

• Burning
• Irritation
• Blurred vision
• Swelling
• Redness

In most cases, serious harm won't come from accidentally using ear drops in your eyes. The most likely scenario is for you to temporarily experience some of the side effects I mentioned above, which is what the folks at 'Consumer Med Safety' state is most likely to happen:

Your eyes will burn and sting right away, and later you might notice redness, swelling, and blurred vision. In most cases, the injury to the eyes is temporary, but visual changes are always a real possibility if something irritating gets in the eyes.

If an administration error occurs, you want to be sure that you flush your eyes with water or saline for at least 15-20 minutes. However, if your symptoms don't start to improve soon, it is recommended to visit the emergency department or ophthalmology clinic, just to be safe. At the very least you should contact the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222, or visit Poison.org.

Final Words

I'm sorry to hear about the problems you have had here. I hope this answer helps.