Eye injuries can happen anytime, anywhere. You might get an eye injury while playing a sport or you might accidentally bump your eye. Even dust particles blown into your eyes can injure your eyes. While many small injuries and surface scratches can be treated at home easily, many serious eye injuries might cost you your vision. Here’re a few facts about eye injuries and ways to treat them:
1. Cut on your Eyelid or Eyelid Laceration
Sports and recreational activities often expose you to the risk of eyelid laceration. A direct blow to your eyes might cut and injure the eyelid and also result in bruising around your eyes. If you have cut your eyelid, use a sterile bandage to cover that area. Avoid cotton as it might get stuck in the wound. Apply ice packs and keep your head elevated to reduce swelling. You can take painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin (do not take aspirin if you are younger than 20 years). If the symptoms do not go away by 24 hours, visit an eye specialist immediately.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/tc/eye-injuries-home-treatment#1
2. Corneal Abrasion
Common causes of corneal abrasion include rubbing the eye hard when a foreign particle is present in the eye or if you get poked in your eye. This condition is very uncomfortable and makes your eyes red and cause swelling. If you get a scratched on your eye, avoid rubbing and patching it. This exposes it to bacterial infection. Keep your eyes closed or loosely tape it. Apply an ice pack. Visit your doctor immediately to avoid any further complication.
Source: http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/eye-injuries.htm
3. Chemical Burn
There might be situations chemicals might get sprayed into your eyes. It could be during cleaning your home or during any other activity. While some chemicals are relatively harmless causing just a stinging and burning sensation for a while but there are some that might result in serious eye damage. Acids can be easily washed out from your eyes while Alkali substances may cause serious injuries. If you accidentally get chemicals in your eye, then do not rub it. Instead, put your head into a stream of water and let the water run through your eyes and down your face for at least 15 minutes. Put a cool and moist compress on your eyes. Your eye is at greater risk if it continues to be red and your vision is blurred. Immediately consult an eye specialist if the condition persists.
Source: http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/eye-injuries.htm
4. Traumatic Iritis
It is an injury to the coloured part of your eye that’s surrounding the pupil. A blow to your eyes with a blunt object such as a ball or fist cause traumatic iritis. To treat this condition, you need to visit the doctor. Ensure that you take the medication on time. Sometimes, light or glare can cause discomfort in your eyes. To avoid that, wear dark glasses.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/iritis#2-7
5. Black eye
When you are struck in your eyes, you might get a Black eye. The signs of a black eye are swelling in the eyelid and the soft tissue around the eye that has been struck. Sometimes this is accompanied by broken blood vessels along the white part of your eye. This is also known as a subconjunctival haemorrhage. Initially, the colour might appear deep purple or blue and then turn to green before disappearing. It takes about a week to vanish completely. Apply cold compress on that areas. This helps in easing swelling and narrowing your blood vessels. That helps in stopping bleeding below your skin. Give 10 minutes intervals in between each application. Otherwise, he ice can damage your skin. Visit the doctor if you have blurred or double vision.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/understanding-black-eye-symptoms
http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/understanding-black-eye-treatment
6. Subconjunctival Haemorrhage
Broken blood vessels in the eye are pretty common and are caused by a blow or trauma to the eyes. This may result from even a minor injury to the eye. This is a painless condition and doesn’t cause vision loss. In such cases, avoid rubbing your eyes as this might aggravate the condition. A subconjunctival haemorrhage usually heals on its own and doesn’t need any treatment. Depending on how big the spot is, the injury might take a few days or a few weeks to heal. You might apply artificial tears to sooth the irritation; however, this doesn’t heal the injury. If you get this injury often, talk to your eye specialist.
Source: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/subconjunctival-hemorrhage-treatment
7. Hyphaema
This condition occurs when any injury to the eye tears its iris or pupil. People tend to mistake this condition with subconjunctival haemorrhage which is a painless and harmless condition. Hyphaema causes pain in your eyes and even cause blurred vision. Your eyes will appear as if it is filled with blood. This is a condition that calls for immediate medical attention. Go straight to an eye specialist for further treatment. If neglected, it might affect your quality of vision.
Source: http://www.webmd.boots.com/eye-health/guide/hyphaema-eye-internal-bleeding
What to Do in Case of Eye Injury?
8. In the case of any eye injury, keep in mind the following things:
- NEVER touch, rub the eyes
- NEVER try to remove the object that’s stuck in your eyes
- NEVER apply any ointment to the eye
9. If the eyes have been cut then:
- NEVER rinse eye with water
- NEVER apply pressure to the eye or rub it
10. If any foreign particle gets in your eyes then:
- NEVER rub the eye
- Blink rapidly to get the tears to flush out the foreign body
- If it doesn’t go, keep the eye closed and visit a doctor
- Seek medical attention right away in case of any injury.
Disha Eye Hospital Can help you with your Eye Problems
Be it a minor injury or a serious issue, problems in the eyes shouldn’t be ignored. If you have any kind of eye issues, you can refer to our specialists. Our eye specialists are working relentlessly to keep your vision safe. Call us today at 03366360000 or visit http://www.dishaeye.org/appointment to book an appointment.