Make sure your eye drops are part of your routine this Ramadan

15th May 2020

With Ramadan well underway for 2020 the team at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre (BMEC) are keen to remind those who are using eye drops as part of their treatments not to forget about the necessity of continuing to do so. In fact BMEC faculty has teamed up with fellow eye care professionals around the country as well as the Muslim Council of Britain for a new campaign for a new campaign by the International Glaucoma Association.

The national campaign “Wake, drops, eat, pray, done!” is looking to encourage patients not to put their sight at risk through inaction.  The below video, featuring both patients and a number of familiar faces from BMEC lays things out.

Mr Ghauri, Consultant Ophthalmologist BMEC said “Many of our patients are observing the holy month Ramadan and tell us they are worried that using eye drops haya may break their fast. This timely guidance reassures patients that it is okay to continue using eye drops and gives simple steps they can take if they are still worried that they can taste drops at the back of the throat.”

“As eye drops are not considered food or drink by most Sunni or Shi’a schools, they don’t break your fast. But if you are still worried, there are some things you can do for additional reassurance,” explains the IGA on their campaign website.” One is to block your tear duct by pressing on the corner of your eye next to your nose, immediately after putting in your drops. This stops the drops reaching the back of your throat, and keeps them in your eye, where they need to be. If in doubt, you can choose to use your drops before suhoor and after iftar.”

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