How to Administer Ear Drops (Children & Adults)

1. Wash your hands AND your child’s hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds.
2. Rub the bottle in the palm of your hands for several minutes to make the ear drops more comfortable.
3. Remove the cap or dropper from the bottle.
4. Have your child tilt his or her head or lie down.
5a. For children 3 and under, gently pull the bottom of the ear DOWNWARD AND BACKWARD to straighten their ear canal.
5b. For adults and children 4 and over, gently pull the top of the ear UPWARD and BACKWARD.
6. Instill the correct number of drops, making sure that the dropper/tip doesn’t touch any surface to avoid contamination.
7a. Have child leave his or her ear tilted for about 4 minutes.
7b. After that time, you can add a cotton ball on the OUTER part of the ear to avoid wicking any of the medication.
8. Replace and tighten the cap or dropper right away.
9. Wash your hands again to remove any medication.

Directed and edited by Cecilia Kieu.