Common Eye Injuries and When to See a Doctor

Getting an eye injury can be painful. The thought of it can make you squirm. The delicate tissues in and around your eye need protection. For that, you need to know which common eye injuries you can encounter.

Common Eye Injuries

Some common eye injuries may require immediate medical attention. Others may be minor, needing monitoring as you plan to visit a doctor. Either way, eye injuries can get complicated and cause vision loss. Thus, you need to know which injuries you can encounter and when to see a doctor.

Corneal Abrasion

Corneal abrasions happen when you rub your eye while it has a foreign object in it. It can also happen when you poke your eye. The scratch is painful and irritating. It can also cause redness of the eye and sensitivity to light. If you scratch your eye, do not rub it. You could irritate it further and make it worse.

Place a loose bandage on it to prevent the urge to touch it. Do not apply pressure on the eye. Make sure you see a doctor as soon as possible. Staying at home and patching it will increase the risk of infection from bacteria and fungi.

Blow to the Eye

An object can strike your eye when you are playing sports, in a fight, or going through your day-to-day activities. It can damage your eyelids, eye muscles, and the bone that surrounds your eye. The injury may be mild, but it can get worse with time.

A swollen eyelid and black eye may also include a broken bone. You may also bleed in severe circumstances. If you notice it swelling, seek medical attention.

Chemical Burns

It is common to get soap or shampoo in your eyes. You simply flush them out of your eyes with water and you will be fine. However, other chemicals around the house can give you burns. Chemicals like cleaning products, garden chemicals, and industrial chemicals can be dangerous when they encounter your eyes.

Acidic chemicals are not as harsh as alkaline chemicals. Alkaline chemicals like drain cleaners and fertilizers can cause blindness. They attack the tissues of the eye and quickly damage them. Hence, the amount of damage to the eye depends on the chemical. Also, it depends on how long it has been in your eyes.

Flush the chemical out of the eyes with clean, running water for about 15 minutes. If the irritation does not subside, call for emergency help and get to a hospital immediately.

Foreign Objects

Foreign objects can accidentally get into your eyes when working on a project. Watch out, then, for wood chips, slivers of glass, or metal shavings. You can also accidentally get a grain of sand in your eye at the beach. The resulting feeling can be very uncomfortable, and the object can scratch or cut your cornea.

If you have a small foreign object in your eye, try to flush it out using water. If you still feel an irritation, seek medical attention immediately. If it is large, try not to move your eye and seek medical attention immediately.

For more on common eye injuries and when to see a doctor, call Grove Eye Care at our offices in Virginia. You can reach us in Richmond at (804) 353-3937 or Midlothian (804) 888-8998.