Practical Pointers: Eye Drops, Shoes, Cough Drops, Depression

Close Eyes to Ease Eye Drop Insertion If parents have difficulties putting eye drops in their child’s eyes, recommend this method: have the child close his or her eyes, then have the parent wipe the inner canthus with a clean cloth and apply the eye drops to thecanthus. When the child opens his eyes, the drops will flow right in. This also works well with adults who have problems instilling eye drops. — Joe Knight, PA-C Chowchilla, Calif   Write the Date on Your Tongue Because shoe materials deteriorate with wear and time, which results in decreased stability and cushioning, sports medicine experts recommend changing running or walking shoes every 6 to 12 months (or 250 to 500 miles) to prevent injuries. Since it is easy to forget how long one has worn a pair of shoes, suggest to your patients who are runners or walkers that they write the date of purchase on the tongue of one shoe; also, remind them to keep their monthly mileage in mind when calculating shoe life. — Daniel Lee, MD Santa Monica, Calif   There Are More Than 2 “S’s” in Depression When you evaluate a patient for depression, use the following mnemonic to check for important signs and symptoms: Sadness (depressed mood) Social withdrawal (diminished interest or pleasure in social interactions) Size (appetite or weight change) Sleep (sleeping too much or difficulty in sleeping) Shaking (psychomotor agitation or retardation) Sluggishness (fatigue or loss of energy) Self-reproach (feelings of guilt or worthlessness) Sexuality (loss of libido) Somatic symptoms (headaches, abdominal pain, back pain, constipation) Stress (recent bereavement, childbirth, chronic illness) Suicide (thoughts of death, dying, or taking one’s life) — Aletha Oglesby, MD Tulsa, Okla   Cough Drops for Taste Recovery Many patients who take macrolides complain of taste perversion. In my experience, cough drops—especially those that are lemon- or menthol-flavored—effectively ameliorate this bothersome side effect. — D. Shtrambrand, MD Clifton, NJ