The reason you can taste your eye drops is due to the anatomical connection between your eyes, nose, and throat. When you put drops in your eyes, some of the liquid drains through a small hole called the lacrimal puncta into the nasolacrimal duct, which connects the eye to the nasal cavity and ultimately the throat. This drainage allows the eye drops to reach your throat and taste buds, making you perceive the taste of the drops in your mouth. This phenomenon is quite common and occurs because excess fluid that doesn't get absorbed by the eye flows through these internal pathways. Pressing on the side of your nose near the inner corner of your eye can block this drainage temporarily, preventing the drops from reaching your throat and thus stopping the taste. Tasting eye drops can also indicate systemic absorption of the medication, which might lead to side effects if too much medication enters your system. Therefore, using proper techniques to apply eye drops can minimize wastage and reduce unwanted side effects.