Why can I taste my eyedrops? The good, bad, and ugly of this phenomenon
Why can I taste my eyedrops? It’s a question eye doctors get quite often. Being able to taste eyedrops after putting them in your eye is a common phenomenon (it can be avoidable by using smaller eyedrops, but that’s a story for another day!). But why?
The anatomy of your eyes, nose, and throat are connected in subtle ways. Let’s break down the question, ‘Why can I taste my eyedrops?’
Why can I taste my eyedrops after putting them in my eye?
If you were to pull down your lower eyelid, you would see a small hole near the inner part of your eye. That’s called the lacrimal puncta — it acts as a drain pipe that allows moisture to pass after it flows across the surface of the eye.
The lacrimal puncta is connected to something called the nasolacrimal duct, connecting the piping of your eyes and nose. Ever notice that your nose gets runny when you cry? That is actually your tears flowing through your nose! So while your eyes and nose are clearly not connected on the outside of your body, the internal workings of your eyes and nose lead to the throat, where they are eventually swallowed.
Eyedrops aren’t exactly created with taste in mind — and being able to taste them can be an indication of something called systemic absorption. Essentially this is overdosing your eye with medication to the point that some fluid is flushed through lacrimal puncta, nasolacrimal duct, and into your throat.
Can I do anything to prevent tasting eyedrops?
For chronic conditions like glaucoma, oversized drops can increase adverse side effects of the medication. Be sure to consult your eyecare professional if you have a chronic disease like this, or if you’re consistently tasting your eyedrops after putting them in.
One way to try eliminating the taste is after putting in your eyedrops, lightly press down near the inner corner of your eyes, which will effectively plug your lacrimal puncta and prevent the fluid from traveling through your eyes/nose/throat.
Smaller eyedrops have also been shown to cut down on systemic absorption risk — Nanodropper Adaptors create smaller drops, thus drastically reducing the amount of excess fluid in an eyedrop.
Be sure to ask your eyecare professional for help dealing with this pesky phenomenon!
This article has been reviewed by a medical professional. Please consult your eye doctor for medical advice.
