For office workers, sometimes they will have a bottle of eyedrops nearby. How long can the opened eyedrops last? The shelf life of the eyedrops is relatively long, but the opened eyedrops must be used up as soon as possible, so how many months after the opening of the eyedrops need to be used up?
How long does the eyedrop last after opening
It's usually four weeks, or a month.
The shelf life of eye drops is really long, generally one to two years. However, the 'fresh-keeping period' of the eye drops after opening is only 4 weeks. The shelf life of eye drops on the package usually refers to the time when they are not opened. Once they are opened for use, if they are not used up for 4 weeks, they should be discarded immediately.
After the eye drops are opened, the preservation environment has changed, and the efficacy will gradually weaken. Because eyedrop belongs to liquid medicine, its stability is relatively poor. After opening the bottle cap, it is easy to have physical and chemical changes due to contact with air, leading to the failure of eyedrop, and even the decomposition of drug ingredients, resulting in harmful substances, causing harm to the eyes. Moreover, opening and closing the bottle cap for many times is also easy to cause bacterial pollution, which is easy to cause eye infection after use. Therefore, the eye drops can be used within 1 month after the bottle cap is opened, and even if the appearance of the eye drops does not change, they should be discarded, and should not be used again. If the time is long, it is easy to bring health risks.
Note: most eye drops on the market are added with preservatives, so the above mentioned fresh-keeping period of one month after opening refers to preservatives. For some eye drops without preservatives, if they are opened, their shelf life will be shorter, only about a week. Of course, it is recommended to buy eye drops without preservatives. Long term use of preservative containing eye drops can also cause ocular surface damage caused by preservative itself.
How to keep eye drops
Eye drops should be stored in a cool and dark place. When the indoor temperature is not more than 25 ℃, it is generally not required to refrigerate. In summer, when the indoor temperature is more than 25 ℃, it should be refrigerated in the refrigerator.
In addition, many people buy eyedrops, throw away the box and put the small bottle in their pocket, which is also wrong. After the bottle is opened, it will not be sealed. Dust can still enter. It is recommended that you put it back into the box after dripping, so as to protect it a little more.
What kind of eyedrop can't be used again?
Of course, focusing on the warranty period is only the first step and the foundation. However, for the sake of safety, it is recommended to check the eye drops in the sun before each use to see whether the eye drops are transparent and clear. If the color of the eye drops changes, there are turbidity, particles, flocculent sediments, and mould groups, no matter how long the bottle is opened, it is better to discard the eye drops.