Your eyes are sensitive and vulnerable to irritation or injury from everyday hazards, such as a splash of cleaning liquid or dust in the air. The first instinct is to rub them or try some home remedy for the pain. But each eye-related emergency has a different course of first aid.
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We asked Dr Tushar Grover, medical director at Vision Eye Centre, what the first steps should be after an eye injury. He warned that common reactions, such as rubbing the eye or trying home remedies, can worsen the injury.
He said, “In my experience, many serious eye injuries become worse not because of the injury itself, but because of the delay in getting proper treatment, or because of the wrong home remedy being used in those first few hours. If in doubt, skip whatever you were about to try at home, and go see a doctor instead. It really is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your eyes.”
Emergency care for different situations
The first steps depend on the type of eye injury. Dr Grover outlined how to respond to different situations:
1. If a chemical gets into the eye
- Needs immediate action; very serious.
- Wash the eye with plenty of clean, running water and keep doing this for at least 20 minutes. Do not stop early just because it feels a bit better.
- After washing, go to an eye hospital right away, even if the eye looks okay.
- Do not wait to see if it settles on its own, and do not use anything other than clean water to wash it.
2. If dust or a small particle gets into the eye
- Usually not serious.
- Rinse the eye gently with clean water.
- Blinking a few times can also help push the particle out. If it still feels uncomfortable or gritty afterwards, get it checked.
- Do not rub the eye, as this can scratch the surface. If you can see something stuck in the eye, do not try to take it out yourself. Leave that to a doctor.
3. If there is a blunt injury, like being hit by a ball or falling
- Put a cold compress around the eye, not directly on the eye itself, and keep the pressure gentle. This helps with swelling and pain.
- If your vision feels different after the injury, or the swelling does not improve, get it examined.
- Do not ignore blurred vision thinking it will go away on its own.
4. If something pierces or enters the eye
- This is a serious injury and needs urgent care.
- Do not try to remove the object, even if it looks small. Do not touch or press on the eye at all.
- Cover it loosely to protect it, and go to an emergency eye centre as quickly as possible.
What should you never do?
In panic, you may end up taking some steps which may aggravate the eye problem. Knowing what to avoid is equally important. The doctor outlined:
- Do not put rose water, honey, milk, or any other home remedy into an injured eye. These do not help and can sometimes make things worse.
- Do not use steroid or anaesthetic eye drops on your own, without a doctor telling you to. These can hide how serious the injury actually is.
- Do not assume an eye injury will heal on its own overnight. Some injuries do get better by themselves, but many do not, and waiting too long can cause permanent damage.
When should you treat it as an emergency?
The doctor also highlighted some red flags that require immediate medical attention:
- Severe pain
- Sudden loss of vision
- Bleeding in or around the eye
- Pupil that looks irregular in shape
- Chemical exposure
- Anything that has pierced the eye
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.