First aid for eye injury

Eye injuries can be of many types. Some of them are mentioned below: 

• Cuts: These could be caused by mistakenly scratching your own eye or when an animal scratches you over the eye
• Punctures: Such injuries could occur when a foreign object goes into the eye, like a stone or pen
• Wounds: Can be caused when working with metal or glass without proper safety precautions
• Chemical burns: When your eye comes in contact with harmful chemicals
• Flash burns: When the eye is exposed to bright light
• Blow to the eye or head: A punch to the eye or being hit by a fast-moving object like a ball or a bullet

Different types of eye injuries may require different kinds of immediate care, which is why a proper initial examination is important. Following are a few suggestions of what to do in each type of eye emergency if you’re the one suppering from the injury:

Foreign objects in the eye: Such injuries can result in anything from small cuts to large punctures and wounds. 

• If the object is small, like dirt or some grass, your eye might push it out by itself.
• Blink repeatedly to push the object out with tears. 
• You can wash your eye out with water to help it get rid of the object.
• Be mindful not to rub your eye or use another object like a pair of tweezers to remove the object.

If the object is larger and embedded in your eye:

• Stay calm and do not try to displace the object.
• Cover it with sterile bandages or some gauze and seek immediate medical help.
• If the object is protruding, try to secure it with a paper cup and tape before going to the hospital.

(Read more: Eye discharge)

Chemical burns: The chemicals present in common products you use like creams, shampoos or other beauty products can hurt the eyes on exposure and cause a burning sensation. Thoroughly washing your eyes out with clean water usually helps resolve this.

Other chemicals, like the ones present in a strong floor cleaner, can cause more serious damage and the following steps should be followed: 

• Keep your eyes open until you can get to a clean water source. Closing your eyes may keep the chemical inside the eye cavity and cause more damage.
• Flush your eye out with water for 15 or so minutes before or while contacting emergency services.
• If possible, find out which specific chemical your eye was exposed to, so the medical professionals know how to treat you best.

(Read more: Fractured eye socket)

Blow to the eye: Blunt trauma to the eye can be very painful. If the injury doesn’t feel too severe at first, you can care for it at home. 

• Apply a cold compress (or ice wrapped up in a towel) gently to your eye.
• Avoid using frozen food packets for this purpose as they could transmit microorganisms to your eye and lead to an infection.
• Switch to using a warm compress after the first 24 hours to keep the bruising to a minimum.
• If you experience bleeding from the white part of the eye, drainage from the eye or vision changes, you should consult with a doctor.
• If the blow was very hard, it could have caused a fracture. Contact a doctor immediately in such cases.

Observe every eye injury for a few days during the healing period to make sure no new symptoms show up. If you notice something new in the sensations or appearance of the injury, get it checked out by a doctor to make sure it isn’t an infection.

Following are a few things to remember not to do, no matter what kind of eye injury you’ve suffered from: 

• If there is an object stuck in your eye, do not try to remove it yourself.
• Do not touch or rub your eye if you have an eye injury.
• Do not apply pressure to your eye.
• Do not apply any medication to your eye without consulting a doctor.
• If you’re wearing contact lenses, do not try to take them out, unless it is a case of a chemical burn and the lens hasn't come out with the water.

Most eye injuries should be looked at by a doctor. If the injury is very mild and not causing any discomfort, you can observe it carefully and schedule a consult in case your symptoms do not improve. Any injury that is more serious than a small scratch or dirt in the eye, should be looked at by a doctor. If any of the following are true for your injury, you should definitely head to the emergency room:

• If an object has struck the eye and is stuck there, you need to see a doctor immediately.
• If you’re experiencing severe pain in the injured eye (Read more: Eye pain)
• If your vision starts to alter (for example, blurred vision or double vision)
• If your head or the area around the injury starts to hurt
• If there is swelling in the injured eye (Read more: Swollen eye)
• If the eye is bleeding

A serious eye injury, if not treated immediately, could lead to many complications. Some of the worst complications are:

• Infection: If the injury involved a tear in the skin, there is a possible risk of infection.
• Scarring: Scarring can occur in the case of deeper wounds.
• Decreased vision: Injuries that involved visible bleeding from the eye may lead to decreased vision.
• Vision loss: Vision loss may occur in severe cases of chemical or flash burns.
• Glaucoma: Glaucoma refers to a group of eye conditions that can lead to blindness in the long term.