How The Eye Works
Eye photography
Eye Care
Accident Prevention
First Aid For Eye
Injuries
Eye Health Nutrition
HIV/AIDS & the eye
A Global Picture of
Childhood Blindness
Debris in the eye
Chemical splashes and burns
Black eye
Cuts to the eye or eyelid
Physical trauma
Don’t panic. Stay clam, and help to keep the patient calm.
Don't delay medical attention. Seemingly minor eye injuries can quickly worsen and cause serious, irreversible loss of vision.
Don't rub the eye. This is a natural response, but the pressure can worsen an injury. So keep the patient’s hands away from the face.
Avoid aspirin. This medication thins the blood and can worsen internal bleeding.
Don’t use any ointments or drops without seeking medical advice. The containers of these medicines may not be sterile, risking infection. They may also interfere with the doctor's ability to effectively examine the eye.
Do not rub they eye.
Instruct the patient to blink repeatedly to help move the debris out of the eye.
If this does not work, pull the upper lid down onto the lower lid, and instruct the patient to blink several times. The lower eyelashes may sweep the debris away from inside the upper eyelid. Use an eye wash to wash out the speck or object from your child's eye.
If the debris is not removed, keep the eye closed and seek medical help.
Using your fingers, open the eyelids as wide as possible,
Gently and continuously flush the eye with clean water for at least fifteen minutes.
Instruct the patient to roll their eyeball around as much as possible as this will help to more thoroughly wash the eye.
Do not bandage the eye or use an eye cup or any other covering.
Seek immediate medical care.
A "black eye" is caused by bleeding under the skin around the eye. The bruising will initially appaed purple-blue and face over a period of days. Although most black-eye injuries are minor, more extensive bruising can be a sign of serious injury, including fractured skull. Bleeding within the eye is also serious, potentially causing reduced vision, damage to the cornea and glaucoma (high pressure in the eye)
As soon as possible after the injury, apply a cold pack to the area around the eye for about 15minutes. If you do not have a cold pack, use a a bag of frozen veg or ice, wrapped in a cloth. This will help to reduce swelling and bruising.
Use gentle pressure, but be careful not to press on the eye itself.
Check that there is no blood in the white (sclera) or coloured ring (iris) of the eye.
Seek immediate medical care if the injured person has
- blurred or double vision,
- bleeding in the eye or from the nose,
- uncontrolled pain.
Do not rub the eye.
Do not wash the eye
Do not apply pressure to the eye.
Do not try to remove any foreign objects from the eye.
Gently bandage the eye and seek immediate medical help.
Seek immediate medical care.
Don't rub the eye.
Don't rinse the eye, as this may cause more injury.
Don’t apply pressure to the eye.
Protect the eye from pressure by taping a shield over the bones surrounding it. If you do not have an eye shield, use a household object like a paper plate or the bottom of a foam cup. If nothing is available, cup your clean hands over the injured eye until you reach medical care.
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