Sodium hyaluronate 0.2% eye drops

Sodium Hyaluronate eye drops are lubricating eye drops for dry eyes. They can be used to protect your eye from irritations such as contact lenses, dry air and to provide relief after an injury to the eye such as a corneal abrasion. A corneal abrasion is a scratch or graze to the clear front surface of the eye called the cornea.

Dose: Two drops should be applied to your affected eye four times a day. You can use further drops to provide relief from dryness or irritation if necessary.

The eye drops should be applied to your affected eye following the instructions below.

To apply the eye drops:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Remove the cap from the bottle.

3. Tilt your head back and look up.

4. Hold the bottle upside down above your eye.

5. Gently pull down the lower lid to form a sac and look up at the bottle.

6. Carefully squeeze the sides of the bottle to drop two drops into the sac of your lower lid then blink to spread the eye drop across the surface of the eye.

7. Screw the cap back on the bottle after use.

How to administer eye drops.

Try to avoid touching the dropper tip with your fingers, eye lashes, or to the eye itself. If this does happen, wipe the dropper tip with a clean dry tissue. Screw the cap back on the bottle after use to keep it clean for next time.

Do not worry if you get a few extra drops in your eye. This will not be harmful; you cannot overdose or do any damage.

You will have a follow up appointment with an Ophthalmologist (Eye Doctor) who will tell you when you can stop using the drops.

Side effects of sodium hyaluronate eye drops are rare. You may experience a slight and temporary blurring of the vision after applying. Wait until the blurring has stopped before doing any activities that need clear vision such as driving or operating machinery. Do not use if you have allergies or sensitivities to any of the ingredients in eye drops. Speak to the doctor or pharmacist and they can recommend an alternative.

Apply the sodium hyaluronate eye drops before any other eye drops you may be using e.g. antibiotics eye drops or eye drops for glaucoma. Wait 10-15 minutes before administering any other eye drops. Once opened the bottle can be used for up to 90 days. Any unused eye drops should be discarded after this time. The eye drops are suitable for use with contact lenses but check with your doctor if you can wear contact lenses if you have received a recent eye injury (for example, a corneal abrasion).

The doctors caring for you will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

If you have any concerns about your eye you can contact the Sussex Eye Hospital A&E through the hospital switch board on 01273 696955.

A patient information leaflet written by the manufacturer is available inside the eye drop box. Please read this for additional information. A free telephone line for people with difficulty with their sight run by the Royal National Institute for Blind People is available. They provide medicine information leaflets in large print, braille and as an audio CD. Call  0800 198 5000.

This information is intended for patients receiving care in Brighton & Hove or Haywards Heath.

The information in this leaflet is for guidance purposes only and is in no way intended to replace professional clinical advice by a qualified practitioner.