With your right hand, pull the upper eyelid over the lower eyelid of the affected eye. The lashes of the lower eyelid may brush the foreign object out of the eye. Do not try to remove any trapped items with your fingers, tweezers, or any other object as this can make the eye injury worse.
For mildly irritating chemicals, rinse for five minutes. For moderate-to-severe irritants, rinse for at least 20 minutes. For non-penetrating corrosives such as acids, rinse for 20 minutes. For penetrating corrosives such as alkalis, rinse for at least 60 minutes. Be sure to note any additional symptoms that may indicate that a poisonous solution has gotten into the eye, including: nausea or vomiting, headaches or lightheadedness, double vision or impaired vision, dizziness or loss of consciousness, rashes or fever. If you notice these symptoms, call poison control (800) 222-1222 and seek medical attention immediately.
Artificial tear drops are designed to lubricate eyes and keep them moist on the outer surface. They are available over the counter and are available in a wide assortment of brands. Some artificial tears contain preservatives to help keep the solution on the surface of your eyes for a longer period of time. However, these preservatives can irritate your eyes if you use them more than four times per day. If you need to use artificial tears more than four times per day, look for preservative-free artificial tears. [6] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Opthamologists Professional medical organization focused on advocating for public health and supporting sight-related research Go to source Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and carboxymethylcellulose are the two most common lubricants in tear drops and can be found in many over-the-counter-solutions. Trial and error is usually the only way to find the best brand of artificial tears for your particular eyes. In some cases, a combination of a few brands may be even be necessary. In the case of chronic dry eyes, artificial tears must be used even if the eyes are symptom-free. Artificial tears can only provide supplemental care and are not a substitute for natural tears.
You suspect that the foreign object is still in your eye. You experience any combination of the following symptoms: blurry vision, redness, substantial pain, tearing, extreme light sensitivity. You think you have a corneal ulceration (open wound on your cornea), which is usually caused by an infection in the eye. You have green, yellow or bloody pus coming out of your eye. You notice light flashes or you visualize tiny dark objects or shadows floating around. You have a fever.
To do this, a topical anesthetic is added to the eye and then your lower lid will be pulled down gently. A Fluorescein strip is then touched onto the eye, and as you blink, the dye spreads throughout the eye. Yellow stained areas under normal light indicated damaged corneal areas. Your doctor will then use a special cobalt blue light to highlight areas of abrasion and to determine the cause. [10] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Family Physicians Organization devoted to improving the health of patients, families, and communities Go to source Several vertical abrasions can indicate a foreign body, while branching stains can indicate herpes keratitis. Additionally, several punctuated lesions can indicate your contact lens as a cause. [11] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Family Physicians Organization devoted to improving the health of patients, families, and communities Go to source Your vision will be affected by this dye and you will see a yellow haze for a few minutes. You may also experience a yellow discharge from your nose during this time.
Dealing with your pain is important, as pain causes stress to the body, which prevents the body from healing quickly and effectively. [13] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Family Physicians Organization devoted to improving the health of patients, families, and communities Go to source Always take pain medications according to the instructions on the packaging and never exceed the recommended dosage. [14] X Research source
An eye patch also decreases oxygen delivery, and the cornea is dependent on oxygenation. [16] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Family Physicians Organization devoted to improving the health of patients, families, and communities Go to source
Topical NSAIDs: Try Diclofenac (Voltaren), 0. 1% solution. Put one drop in your eye four times daily. You can also try Ketorolac (Acular), 0. 5% solution. Use one drop four times daily. See Part 3 for how to administer eye drops. Always follow the instructions and dosage outlined on the packaging. Topical antibiotics: Try Bacitracin (AK-Tracin) and use 1/2-inch ribbon two to four times daily. Or use erythromycin ophthalmic ointment, applying a 1/2-inch ribbon. You can also use Chloramphenicol (Chloroptic), 1% ointment and give yourself two drops every three hours. Yet another option is Ciprofloxacin (Ciloxan), 0. 3% solution, where the dosage changes over the course of the treatment. On the first day, administer two drops every 15 minutes for six hours, then two drops every 30 minutes for rest of day. On the second day, administer two drops per hour. From the third day to day 14, administer two drops every four hours. Always follow the instructions and dosage outlined on the packaging.
If you are experiencing extreme sensitivity to light or spasms in your eyelid, your ophthalmologist may choose to give you eye drops designed to dilate your pupil. This helps to reduce pain and relax your eye muscles. See Part 3 on how to administer pupil dilating eye drops.
This is particularly important if the cornea scratch was caused by wearing contact lenses in the first place. You should also not wear contact lenses while applying antibiotic treatments to your injured cornea. Wait 24 hours after your last dosage of antibiotics before wearing them again. [22] X Research source
You can administer eye drops while standing, sitting or lying down as long as your head is back.
As to how many drops you should squirt into your eye, follow the directions on the bottle or your physician’s advice. Do not exceed the recommended dosage. Wait a few minutes between drops if you need to put in more than one to make sure that the first drop gets absorbed and is not washed out by the second. Make sure the tip of the dropper does not make any direct contact with your eyeball, eyelid or eyelash, as this can introduce foreign bacteria into the eye.
Just make sure not to squeeze the eye too tightly, as this can squeeze the ointment out and cause injury to the eye.
Playing sports such as softball, paintball, lacrosse, hockey and racquetball. Working with chemicals, power tools or anything that can splatter into your eyes. Mowing the lawn and weed-whacking. Riding in a convertible, on a motorcycle or bicycle.
Try to plan out your day so that you are not stuck wearing your contacts all day. For example, if you run in the morning and know you want to go for a bike ride in the evening, wear your glasses all day in between those activities when working at your computer. Make a concerted effort to bring your glasses with you and change into them where appropriate.
