Numbing Drops

Almost every patient I see has a numbing drop placed in the eye. Numbing drops can make eyes feel “heavy” or otherwise strange. It can sometimes help with the examination, especially in a patient who comes in for evaluation of eye irritation. These people absolutely LOVE the numbing drops! “Can I take those home with me?” Unfortunately, repeated instillation of numbing drops can lead to devastating complications for the cornea. It can make the eye look as though it has a terrible, overwhelming infection. Obviously there is no actual infection in these cases, but the patient’s poor vision and exam findings simulate a rip-roaring infection. Even though many patients have very painful eye problems that are temporarily relieved by numbing drops, we cannot let them have numbing drops at home because that can make their eyes much, much worse.