How do you administer ear drops to a child

How to Give Ear Drops to a Child

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Has your child's pediatrician has prescribed or recommended ear drops? Following these steps can help ease the process and ensure the drops work properly:

Getting ready

Read all the directions that came with the medicine, and make sure you have the correct bottle.
Wash both your hands and your child's hands.
Rub the medicine bottle between the palms of your hands or place in warm water to warm the drops.
Feel a drop to make sure the drops aren't too hot or too cold.
Ask your child to lie down or sit with the affected ear facing up.
Observe for any discharge (think yellow or green substance), pus (cloudy) or blood in the ear. If there is any, do not give the medicine to your child.
If there is drainage (clear liquid) remove it with a clean tissue or cotton topped applicator. Do NOT clean any more than the outer ear.

Giving the drops

Place the wrist of the hand you will be using to give the medicine on the cheek or head.
Place the dropper/nozzle above your child's ear canal.
For children under age 3:

For children over age 3:

Squeeze the dropper slowly and firmly to release the right amount of medicine on the side of the ear canal.
Try to put the drops in so they can run along the side of the ear canal. This can help let air escape as the medicine flows in.

After giving ear drops

Ask your child to remain lying down for a couple minutes to help the medicine reach the deepest part of the ear canal and be absorbed.
Gently rub the skin in front of the ear or move the ear to help the drops flow to the inside of the ear.
Place a cotton ball in your child's affected ear to help prevent the medicine from leaking out. Replace the cotton ball each time the medicine is given. Avoid putting q-tips into the ear.
Rinse the dropper tip in water after each use before capping or returning it to the bottle.
Replace the cap immediately after use.
Wash your hands and note the time the medication was given.
Be sure to use the drops as directed for the length of time prescribed.

More information

Swimmer's Ear in Children

Last Updated: 4/26/2022

Source: Adapted from Curriculum for Medication Administration in Early Education and Child Care Settings (Copyright © American Academy of Pediatrics 2018)

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

For Ear Infections and More

How to Use Ear Drops: For Ear Infections and More

Medically reviewed by Alan Carter, Pharm.D. — By University of Illinois — Updated on December 19, 2016

Introduction

Ear drops can be used to treat or prevent ear infections or to help remove earwax. Ear drops may be bought over-the-counter or prescribed by your doctor. They’re typically used for short-term treatment.

No matter what kind of ear drops you use or why you use them, it’s important to administer them correctly. Using ear drops properly allows the medication to enter your ear canal and treat your ear problem. Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to use ear drops properly and safely.

Along with your ear drops, you’ll need hand sanitizer or soap and water to clean your hands. You’ll also need some tissues or a towel to wipe away excess drops that drain out of your ear after applying the ear drops.

These instructions can help you put ear drops into your own ears. If you’re a parent or caregiver, follow the same steps to give drops to a child or another person. If you have trouble putting drops into your own ears, ask a family member or friend to follow these steps to help you.

Preparing

Gather your supplies. These include the bottle of ear drops and a tissue or other cloth to wipe away any drips.
Wash your hands with soap and water. If water is not available, use hand sanitizer instead.

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Warm the ear drops by holding the bottle in your hand for one to two minutes. This can help reduce any discomfort that could be caused by cold drops in your ear.

Remove the cap from the bottle. Place the cap of the bottle on a clean, dry surface.

For bottles with a dropper, check that the dropper is clean and not cracked or chipped.

Putting in the drops

Position the head so that the ear faces upward. If you’re giving the drops to yourself, it may be easiest to sit or stand upright and tilt your head to the side. If you’re giving the drops to someone else, it may be easiest if the person tilts their head or lies down on their side.

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If the bottle has a dropper, draw some liquid into the dropper. If the bottle has a dropper tip, you’ll just need to turn the bottle upside down.

For adults, gently pull the upper ear up and back. For children, gently pull the lower ear down and back. Squeeze the correct number of drops into the ear. Your doctor’s instructions or the bottle’s label will tell you how many drops to use.

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Gently pull the earlobe up and down to allow the drops to run into ear. Keep the head tilted for about two to five minutes so the drops can spread into the ear.

Wipe away any extra liquid with a tissue or clean cloth.

Put the cap back on the bottle.

Wash your hands to remove any medication.

Store the bottle as directed by the label or by your doctor or pharmacist.

Finishing up

Don’ts

Don’t use a dropper that’s cracked, chipped, or dirty.
Don’t allow the dropper tip to touch your ear, fingers, or any other surface. It could pick up bacteria or other germs that can lead to an ear infection.
Don’t warm the drops under hot water. They may become too hot and hurt your ear.
Don’t share your ear drops with anyone else. Sharing drops could spread germs and infection.

You should also know how long you can use the ear drops safely after opening the bottle. For prescription ear drops, ask your pharmacist or doctor about the expiration date. For over-the-counter drops, check the expiration date on the label. If the drops have expired, throw them away. Don’t use expired ear drops.

To help your ear drops work well, follow these instructions and any directions from the label or your doctor or pharmacist. These steps should help you use your prescription or over-the-counter ear drops easily and safely. If you have any questions about using your ear drops, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

A:

Answers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.

Last medically reviewed on June 7, 2016

How we reviewed this article:

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. (2013). How to use ear drops properly
safemedication.com/safemed/MedicationTipsTools/HowtoAdminister/HowtoUseEarDropsProperly
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2015, June 15). 6 tips to avoid medication mistakes
fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm096403.htm

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Dec 19, 2016

Written By

University of Illinois-Chicago

Edited By

Tracey Crate

Jun 7, 2016

Medically Reviewed By

Alan Carter, PharmD

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Medically reviewed by Alan Carter, Pharm.D. — By University of Illinois — Updated on December 19, 2016

How to instill drops in the treatment of the ear? How to bury a child and an adult?

How to instill drops in ear treatment? How to bury a child and an adult?

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A few simple rules

Only those drops prescribed by a doctor can be used!
If the medicine is stored in the refrigerator, it must be warmed to room temperature before use.
For instillation of the drug, the patient must tilt his head to one side (for adults) or take a position lying on his side (for children).
Pull the ear back slightly to open the ear canal
The number of drops should be according to the doctor's recommendations (or instructions)
It will be better if the patient lies on his side for several minutes (3 - 10 minutes) with the diseased ear up
Blot with a cotton swab to remove any residual medication. There is no need to wear cotton wool in the ear for a long time
If required, repeat all steps for the other ear.

CAUTION!

DO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN YOUR EARS UNLESS YOUR DOCTOR'S ADVICE!
A number of drugs can have a toxic effect on the auditory receptors, some drugs, such as alcohol drops, are contraindicated in perforated tympanic membranes.
Do you value your hearing?
refrain from self-treatment!

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How to instill drops - Lifehacker

November 23, 2017 Likbez Health

You have most likely been dripping into your nose, eyes and ears incorrectly all your life.

How to administer the drops: general rules

Before putting the medicine into the nose, eyes or ears, do the following:

Check that the medicine can still be used. Many people have a habit of throwing the remnants of medicines into the first-aid kit, so that later, if necessary, they can get it and apply it. If this is your case and you took out the drops from your home box, check if the medicine has expired and if it has deteriorated: even if the expiration date is still far away, due to improper storage, the medicines may become unusable. If the drops have changed color, become cloudy, a precipitate has fallen in them, it is better to buy a new product at a pharmacy.
Clear the nose, ears and eyes of secretions. Blow your nose, if possible, remove the child's mucus with an aspirator. Gently clean your ears with a cotton swab (not a stick!) Use a cotton pad to collect the discharge from the eyes from the outer corner to the inner. Use a separate cotton ball for each ear and eye.
Warm drops. This is especially important if you are going to drip medicine to a child: cold solutions of medicines are unpleasant to feel in the ear or nose. To heat the medicine, just hold the vial with the medicine in your hand for a while. Do not put anything in the microwave or on the battery.
Wash hands before handling medicine.

How to put drops in the nose

This is the simplest manipulation, but many do it wrong. No need to tilt your head back and pour in the medicine: this way the drops will fall into the throat and will not work in the nasal cavity.

To correctly instill into the nose, you need to lie down, or at least tilt your head to one side, on the back of the chair.

Drops should be instilled into the nostril that will be down so that the medicine is on the outer wall of the nose.

Inject the medication and press down on the wing of the nose to distribute the drops inside and into the sinuses. Then turn your head and repeat the same on the other side.

How to put drops in the eyes

It is difficult to put drops in the eyes, because usually people react nervously to any objects near the eye. The exception is those who wear contact lenses.

If you are instilling medicine into someone's eyes, tilt the patient's head slightly back, then pull back the lower eyelid (not too much to avoid discomfort), ask to look up, and send drops into the crease between the eye and the eyelid. For convenience, the pipette hand can be placed directly on the person's forehead.

Sometimes it is easier to do the procedure yourself, in front of a mirror. Then you should try not to tilt your head forward, but otherwise act in the same way: pull the lower eyelid and send the drops to their destination.