Do your eyes hurt long after you accidentally poked your eyes, or something gets trapped in them? There are good chances that you got a scratch on the cornea of your eyes, the black circle in the middle of your eye. This condition is known as a scratched eye or corneal abrasion.
This post elaborates the symptoms and treatment options of the scratched eye. You will also get information on what to do and not to do for a scratched eye. Let’s get started!
Causes of Scratched Eye
You might’ve done any of the following actions to cause scratched eye:-
- Wore contact lenses for excessive time
- Poked your eye accidentally with a pen, pencil, makeup brush, or your own fingernail
- Proper Contact lenses care is not taken or if they are not well-fitting
- Caught an eye infection
- Not protected your eyes during a surgery
- Poured chemicals in your eye by mistake
- Played sports without safe eyewear
- Got engaged in high-risk physical activity without eye protection
- Rubbed your eyes too hard
- Got some foreign material in your eyes like dirt, ash, sand, or something else
What Are the Symptoms of Scratched Eye?
You usually know when you’ve scratched your eyes by mistake. But if you can’t remember any such incidents, you can guess if you face the scratched eye symptoms. Do you always feel like you have some dirt in your eyes? And suddenly, your eyes become sensitive to light? If yes, then you might have scratched eyes or corneal abrasion.
Some of the most common scratched eye symptoms are:
- Pain in your eyes when you open or close them
- tearing
- redness in the eyes
- blurry vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Headaches
What to Do if You Got Poked in the Eye?
Often, a small poke in the eye caused by a blunt item such as a finger may be treated at home. The following procedure can be used to treat a minor poke in the eye:
- Wash your hands and avoid rubbing your eye.
- If you have a sterile saline solution on hand, use it to rinse your eye or else use clean water.
- Use a cold compress. Keep in mind to occasionally remove the compress.
- You can take an over-the-counter pain reliever if you’re feeling uncomfortable.
If you suspect any symptoms of a scratched eye, make sure to follow the below tips and contact your eye doctor if the situation persists.
Dos & Don’ts of Scratched Eye!
Some tips can quicken the corneal abrasion healing time for you. At the same time, you can worsen your condition by making some mistakes. Thus you must remember the below-mentioned do’s and don’ts of the scratched eye.
What to Do for a Scratched Eye?
- Rinse your eyes with clean water or saline solution. You can take water or the solution in a glass or bowl and rest your eyes against it while blinking.
- Put upper eyelids over the lower ones so that the lower eyelids can brush away the foreign substance.
- Wear sunglasses when you step out in the sun to ease your pain and discomfort. The scratched eye makes your eyes sensitive to light.
- Keep blinking as it helps in pushing dust particles and other small foreign substances out of the eyes.
- Call or visit your doctor if the situation persists for too long for scratched eye treatment.
What Not to Do for a Scratched Eye?
- Don’t give in to the temptation of touching your eyes often to ease the pain. It will only aggravate it.
- Don’t use any over-the-counter eye drops without consulting your doctor. They know how to treat a scratched eye better than a pharmacy guy.
- Don’t wear your contact lenses for some time. They can cause infection and slow down the corneal abrasion healing time.
- Don’t rub your eyes if they are itching. It can further injure and scratch your eyes.
Scratched Eye Treatment
If your corneal abrasion is not severe, the natural healing process of the eyes can take care of it. You only need to follow the do’s of the scratched eyes, and you will be fine in a few days. Sometimes, your doctor may prescribe some eye lubricants to keep your eyes moist.
In a more severe case of scratched eyes, doctors need to use antibiotic ointments, steroids, or bandage contact lenses. A deep corneal abrasion can cause a permanent scar and affect your vision quality. So if you suspect that the injury is serious, don’t delay in reaching out to your doctor.
Prevention From Scratched Eyes
If you feel like something has got into your eyes, rubbing them to remove it will only scratch your eyes. Instead, blink your eyes several times, pull your upper eyelid over the lower, and rinse with water immediately. If you feel something is stuck on the cornea, leave it to your doctor to remove that. Don’t ever attempt to touch your cornea on your own.
Summing Up!
In maximum cases, the scratched eye is not severe, and the symptoms can go away on their own in a few days. And the information on how to heal a scratched eye provided here also helps in quickly getting over it. But if the problem persists or the scar seems to be serious, don’t delay in visiting a good and trusted eye doctor.
Poked in the Eye | Scratched Eye FAQs
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.