1. If there is discharge visible, wipe it away with a damp tissue
2. Wash your hands
3. Warm the drops to body temperature, ie place in armpit for 3 minutes
4. Lie the person on their side
5. Pull the ear out from the head to open the ear canal
6. Drip the right number of drops into the ear canal. Be very careful not to touch anything with the top of the bottle to prevent contamination
7. Gently move the ear to pump the drops around
8. If there is a grommet or perforation, it is good to pump the drops through to the middle ear – it is okay if the patient tastes them
9. Continue to lie on your side for 5-10 minutes
10. Then turn over to drain the drops onto a tissue and lie still for a further 5-10minutes

Hints

• Do not block the ear with cotton wool or tissues etc
• If you have a reaction to the drops, stop using them and contact your GP
• Some drops are unsafe to use if there is a perforation or grommet, check with your GP or pharmacist
• At the end of your prescribed course of drops, dry your ear and avoid water entering it for a few days
• Exostoses or surfers ear – alternate between pumping the ear and popping the ear to dislodge any air block so the drops go down to the ear drum

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