First Aid for Eye Injuries

The human eye includes many mechanisms to protect itself from harm. Eyelashes help keep dust and debris out of your eyes and act as human whiskers, detecting objects that are near to your eye and triggering a reflexive blink. Eyebrows channel moisture, such as sweat and rain, to flow around your eyes instead of into them. And your eyelids, which have the ability to close in a fraction of a second, cover your eyes to block objects from entering them. They also work with your tears to flush foreign objects off of your cornea. Unfortunately, accidents happen, and all of these protective measures combined can’t always prevent an injury.

While the first-aid tips below represent some immediate steps you can take after an eye injury, it is very important to always seek medical attention from an eye doctor as soon as possible. The seriousness of an eye injury is easy to underestimate, especially if it affects a part of the eye that doesn’t have pain receptors. By putting off medical attention you risk exacerbating the injury, which could lead to permanent vision loss. Only an eye care professional can thoroughly examine your injured eye and recommend the appropriate treatment.

ALL EYE INJURIES

• NEVER rub, touch or apply pressure to your eye.
• NEVER try to remove an object that is stuck in your eye.
• DO NOT apply medication or ointment to your eye, unless it has specifically been prescribed by a physician for the treatment of the injury.
• ALWAYS see a medical professional immediately, preferably an ophthalmologist.
• REMEMBER, not all hospitals offer emergency eye trauma care. If your eye injury is severe and you need to go to the emergency room, if possible, call your eye doctor and ask which hospital they recommend.

CUTS OR PUNCTURES OF THE EYE

• NEVER try to remove an object if it is stuck in your eye.
• PROTECT the eye from further damage. The bottom of a paper cup taped to the area surrounding the eye can be a good make-shift shield until you get to a doctor.
• NEVER rinse with water. This could introduce more pathogens into the wound and cause infection.
• NEVER rub or apply pressure to the eye.
• AVOID drugs that thin the blood, such as aspirin, ibuprofen or other non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs, as they may increase bleeding. 
• IMMEDIATELY seek emergency medical treatment.

PARTICLES OR FOREIGN MATERIALS IN THE EYE

• DO NOT rub the eye, as this may cause abrasions to your cornea.
• GENTLY lift the upper eyelid and pull it down over the lashes of your lower lid. The lashes will act like a brush to help remove particles stuck underneath your eyelid.
• SLOWLY BLINK several times and allow tears to flush out the particles.
• KEEP YOUR EYES CLOSED, if you are unable to remove the particles, and seek medical attention as soon as possible.

CHEMICAL BURNS TO THE EYE

• IMMEDIATELY FLUSH the eye with sterile water or eyewash solution.
• Seek emergency medical treatment right away.

IMPACT INJURY TO THE EYE

• DO NOT rub or apply pressure to the eye.
• GENTLY APPLY a small cold compress to reduce pain and swelling.
• Even a light impact can cause severe injury to the eye. If swelling, discoloration (black eye), pain or visual disturbance occurs, immediately seek medical attention.

SAND, DUST OR OTHER SMALL DEBRIS IN THE EYE:

• FLUSH the eye with sterile water or eyewash solution.
• DO NOT rub the eye.
• If you are unable to remove the debris by flushing your eye,  LIGHTLY BANDAGE the eye and see a doctor as soon as possible.