First aid treatment for eye injuries

Introduction

Eyes are very sensitive organs and even the slightest injury can cause great damage to the vision. Sometimes an injury can be so severe it permanently damages the vision, leading to partial or complete blindness, if it is not treated properly and on time.

In addition, eye injuries are very painful. Even a smallest speck of sand in the eye can feel like a razor cut. Any foreign object in the eye, ruptured blood vessels, a black eye, cut cornea and similar should be reported to a doctor who will examine the eye and take appropriate measures. While waiting for the doctor, or if one is not around, it is important to know the first aid steps for eye injuries.

First aid for eye injuries

Foreign objects in the eye are very common. It can be a rogue eyelash, a small insect, a speck or sand or dirt, etc. Whatever the object is, it causes irritation, redness, pain and blurred vision and should be removed. It is best to have it removed by someone else, preferably flushing it out with cool, clean water from a sink, or if a sink is not around, using a pitcher, a water bottle or an eye dropper. If the foreign object is on the surface of the eyeball, it can be removed by flushing fairly easily. It is not recommended to remove the object using fingers, fingernails or instruments of any kind, because they will damage the eye. A clean paper tissue or a cotton swab is an option if there is no clean water around.

If the foreign object is not visible on the eye ball, it is probably stuck beneath the eyelid. The eyelid should then be pulled up or down so the object can be removed.

In case the foreign object cannot be removed, because it is hard to flush or it cannot be found, it is very important to cover both of the eyes with a piece of clean gauze and to seek medical attention. It may seem pointless to cover both of the eyes if only one is injured, but it actually makes a lot of sense. The eyes work in pair and in sync, if one is covered the other will do no good because it will continue move, causing the covered eye to move too, and movement is not recommended because the foreign particle can cause additional damage. In addition, keeping the eyes still will not only prevent further irritation, it will also soothe and calm the nerves which are already in the edge due to pain and irritation.