Did you also get eye ointment? Let's learn about Sulfacetamide!

Sometimes when you wake up in the morning, your eyes are red, puffy, and painful to the point of being difficult to open. For bacterial eye infections like this, doctors often recommend an eye ointment called Sulfacetamide. It also comes in the form of eye drops. So if your doctor has prescribed this medication for you, it's important to know exactly what you're taking. Today, let's talk about this medication, how to use it, and what precautions you need to take.

What is Sulfacetamide?

Simply put, Sulfacetamide is an antibiotic that belongs to the sulfonamide class. When you say an antibiotic, you know that it either kills microorganisms like bacteria that have entered our body or stops their growth. So, this Sulfacetamide ointment is used to control a bacterial infection inside the eye.

This is often given for conditions like bacterial conjunctivitis, which we commonly call "eye disease." You may find this medicine under different brand names. But they all contain the same active ingredient.

Things you need to tell your doctor before using the medicine

Before giving you this medicine, your doctor will ask you some questions. But it is very important for you to inform your doctor about these things as well.

Look at the table below, you should talk to your doctor about these things.

How do you apply this ointment to your eyes correctly?

This is very simple, but it needs to be done very carefully. If used incorrectly, the effectiveness of the medicine may decrease and the infection may increase.

1. First, wash your hands thoroughly: Before applying the medicine and after applying it, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

2. Tilt your head back slightly: While sitting in a chair or lying down in bed, tilt your head back slightly and look up.

3. Pull down the lower eyelid: With your index finger, gently pull down the lower eyelid to form a small pouch.

4. Don't touch the tip of the tube: This is very important . Don't let the tip of the ointment tube touch your eyes, fingers, or anywhere else. Doing so can introduce germs into the tube and contaminate the medicine.

5. Apply the ointment: Squeeze the tube and apply about 1 centimeter of ointment (like a string) into the prepared eyelid bag.

6. Close your eyes and roll them inwards: Close your eyes and roll them inwards back and forth. This will help the ointment spread throughout the eye.

7. Vision may be slightly blurred: Your vision may feel a little blurry for a few minutes after applying the ointment. This is normal, so don't worry about it.

8. Complete the course: Even if you feel better in two or three days, you should take the medicine for the full number of days prescribed by your doctor . Otherwise, the infection may return. Usually, the course of treatment is 7-10 days.

When giving this to young children?

Special care is required when giving this medicine to children, so be sure to follow the instructions given by your pediatrician.

Other things to be careful about when using medication

• What if you miss a dose? If you forget to take your medicine, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the next dose at the scheduled time. Never take two doses at the same time.
• What if you take too much of this medicine? If you think you have taken too much of this medicine by mistake, immediately call the National Poisons Information Centre at the Colombo National Hospital . Or go to the Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU) of the nearest hospital.
• What if you experience allergic symptoms? If you experience allergic symptoms such as redness, itching, or swelling of the eyes, stop using the medicine and contact your doctor immediately.
• If you are sensitive to light: Some people may experience discomfort when light hits their eyes (light sensitivity) while using this medication. In that case, wear sunglasses when going outside.
• Problems with other medications: If you are using other eye medications that contain silver, tell your doctor about it, as these two medications can interact with each other.

What are the possible side effects?

Like any medicine, this can cause side effects in some people, but not everyone does.

How to store the medicine?

• Keep away from children. This is very important.
• Store at a temperature between 2 and 30 degrees Celsius. This means you can store it at normal room temperature. Never put it in the freezer.
• Throw away the expired medicine tube. It's best to write the date you started using the tube somewhere on it. That way, it's easy to throw away when the treatment period is over.

Sulfacetamide Sinhala, eye ointment, eye diseases, eye infections, conjunctivitis Sinhala, red eyes, antibiotic ointment