There are many ways you can scratch your eye. You might have accidentally poked it, or something could have gotten under your eyelids such as dirt or sand. Either way, this can be a corneal abrasion. A corneal abrasion is a superficial scratch on the cornea, a clear layer that covers the iris and shields the pupil.
If you have scratched your cornea, your eye might hurt even when you close it. To learn what to do in the event of corneal abrasion, take the time to read this article.
What to Do if You Have Scratched Your Cornea
The most common symptoms of a corneal abrasion are blurry vision, sensitivity to light and a headache. If you have scraped your cornea, it can permanently affect your vision. For this reason, you should contact your eye doctor as soon as possible. If you’re in a lot of pain and having vision problems, you may need to go to the emergency room.
While most cases of corneal abrasion are minor and will heal in a few days, you should still consider setting an appointment with your doctors for an eye exam. They may treat your corneal abrasion with antibiotic eye drops or ointment. To reduce inflammation and scarring, steroid eye drops may be prescribed.
Do’s and Don’ts of Treating a Corneal Abrasion
- DO rinse your eye with a saline solution or clean water. To do this, use a small, clean glass if you don’t have an eyecup. Place the rim of the glass on the base of your eye socket, just below your lower eyelid. The saline solution or water may flush the foreign object from your eye.
- DO pull your upper eyelid over your lower eyelid. The lashes from your lower eyelid may brush away any foreign object or debris caught underneath your upper eyelid.
- DON’T touch your eye. Cotton swabs, fingers and other objects will be unable to remove foreign objects on your eye and can hurt it more. Keep in mind that the object that caused the scratch may be gone even if you feel like something is still stuck in your eye.
- DON’T wear contact lenses. If you are usually wearing contact lenses, you might want to avoid doing so if you have scratched your cornea. Otherwise, it can slow down the healing process and lead to contact lens-related infections.
When it comes to eye health, you can rely on the eye care experts in Insight Vision Center Optometry to keep it in check. Give us a call at (714) 486-3315, or fill out our online contact form to set an appointment. Our service areas include Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, CA.
