Eye and Ear Medications 2025

• Chapter 14 is about eye and ear medications

Eye Pressure Measurement

• A tonometer measures pressure in the eye.
• Tonometers are used by ophthalmologists or optometrists.

Earwax Softening

• Cerumenolytics soften earwax.
• Mineral oil and hydrogen peroxide can also decrease earwax buildup.

Dizziness

• Vertigo is another word for "dizziness."

Pupil Dilation

• Mydriatics dilate the pupils.
• Mydriatics relax ciliary muscles, allowing the examiner to assess the inner eye.

Eye Anatomy - Aqueous Humor

• The anterior chamber contains the aqueous humor.
• Aqueous humor is a watery fluid.

Eye Anatomy - Vitreous Humor

• The posterior chamber contains the vitreous humor.
• Vitreous humor is a thick fluid.

Iris Function

• The iris controls the amount of light entering the eye.
• The iris regulates light by dilating and constricting the pupil.

Retina

• The retina is light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eyeball.
• Images are projected through the pupil and lens onto the retina.

Retina - Rods vs. Cones

• Rods process black and white images.
• Cones process color images.

Glaucoma

• Glaucoma causes blindness due to increased eye pressure.
• Increased pressure damages the optic nerve, reducing its ability to transmit visual information causing visual loss.

Types of Glaucoma

• Glaucoma is a group of diseases.
• Primary open-angle glaucoma occurs when the drainage canal becomes obstructed.
• Angle-closure (narrow-angle) glaucoma involves a rapid increase in eye pressure.
• Angle-closure glaucoma is caused by a blockage in a different part of the eye than the drainage canal.
• Normal-tension glaucoma damages the optic nerve even when eye pressure is not significantly elevated.

Intraocular Pressure (IOP) Reduction

• Alpha blockers, beta blockers, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, and osmotic diuretics decrease IOP.
• Medications reduce the flow of aqueous humor to lower IOP.

Ophthalmic Antibiotics

• Ophthalmic antibiotics treat conjunctivitis (pink eye) and styes.
• Conjunctivitis is a common eye infection.
• A stye is a bacterial infection of an oil gland in the eyelid.
• Both infections are treated with topical ophthalmic antibiotics.

Xiidra (lifitegrast)

• Xiidra (lifitegrast) is an ocular lubricant used to treat dry eye disease.
• One drop is placed in each eye every 12 hours.
• Use cautiously in the elderly, pregnant/lactating women, and children younger than 17 due to limited studies.

Matching Eye Medications with Their Use:

• Gentamicin treats bacterial infections.
• Pilocarpine HCl is used in the treatment of glaucoma.
• Scopolamine dilates pupils for examination or inflammatory conditions.
• Restasis treats chronic dry eyes by increasing tear production.
• Omnipred treats inflammation and pain due to injury or surgery.

Matching Medications with Their Use:

• Soften earwax: Cerumenolytics
• Prevent and treat motion sickness: Antivertigo agents
• Treat ocular hypertension: Ophthalmic prostaglandin agonists, Ophthalmic alpha blockers and Ophthalmic beta blockers
• Treat glaucoma: Ophthalmic prostaglandin agonists, Miotics, Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, Ophthalmic alpha blockers and Ophthalmic beta blockers
• Numb the eye prior to surgery: Ophthalmic local anesthetics
• Dilate the pupil in inflammatory conditions or for diagnostic/surgical procedures: Ophthalmic corticosteroids and Mydriatics
• Increase tear production to treat dry eye: Immunomodulators
• Decrease inflammation and pain due to injury or surgery in the eye: Ophthalmic corticosteroids
• Treat eye irritations: Ophthalmic corticosteroids