There are many causes of eye injury, including:
- a blow to the eye
- foreign bodies – any material that gets into your eye, the seriousness of the injury will depend on what the object is and whether it has pierced your eye
- cuts to the eyelid and eyeball
- chemical exposure
- ultraviolet light
Blows to the eye
A blow to the eye can cause a number of injuries.
- Traumatic iritis (uvetits) – inflammation (swelling) caused by a blow to the eye
- Orbital blowout fracture – breaks or cracks in the bones of the face that surround the eye, which can push the eyeball further back into the eye socket (orbit).
- Bleeding in the eye (hyphema).
- Retinal detachment – a rare condition that result from tears and breaks in the retina, and can lead to permanent vision loss if not treated.
Ultraviolet light
Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or from exposure to sun lamps can lead to an eye injury called ultraviolet keratitis or corneal flash burn.
Contact lenses
Wearing contact lenses incorrectly can also cause injury to your eyes.
Corneal abrasions (scratching or grazing of the cornea) are likely to occur if your contact lenses are not clean, do not fit properly or are worn for long periods of time.
It is also possible for a foreign body, such as a tiny particle of dust or dirt, to become trapped behind your contact lens and cause irritation to your eye.
