Self-help
If you have something stuck in your eye (a foreign body), or if your eye has been exposed to chemicals, you should wash your eye out using clean water, or a sterile fluid from a clear container. This will remove any loose material in your eye.
Flushing your eye
If chemicals are involved in the eye injury, flush your eye thoroughly using clean water or sterile fluid for at least 10 to 20 minutes. Use a lot of water to wash your eye, and gently hold your eyelids open throughout the rinsing process.
To flush your eye, you should:
- stand over a sink, cup your hands and put your face into the running water
- hold a glass of water to your eye and tilt your head backwards (do this repeatedly)
- if you are near a shower, wash your eye out under the running water (this is particularly useful is your eye has been exposed to chemicals)
- if you are working outside, you can use a garden hose to rinse your eye, but make sure that it is not on a powerful flow setting
Do not remove anything that is embedded in your eye.
Cover the injured eye with a clean pad and go straight to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department at your local hospital.
The way that eye injuries are treated will depend on the extent of the injury, the symptoms and, in some cases, how the injury was caused. Infections from eye injuries are rare. However, eye infections can be severe, so it is likely that antibiotics will be prescribed in order to help prevent infection (see below).
Referral to an eye specialist
You will need to be referred to an ophthalmologist (a specialist in eye conditions) for specialist treatment if:
- your injury was caused by a small, high-speed foreign body, such as a stone thrown up by a lawnmower
- your injury was caused by chemicals getting into your eye
- there is a foreign body in your eye that cannot be removed by your GP
- you have severe pain in your eye and/or your vision is severely affected
- there may be damage to your retina (the light sensitive layer at the back of your eye)
- you have a deep cut in your orbit (eye socket)
- your eye injury becomes worse or shows no improvement on a daily basis
- you have had recurring eye injuries
Removing a foreign body
If there is a foreign body in your eye, such as a piece of grit, your GP or a doctor at the accident and emergency (A&E) department of your local hospital, may try to remove it. They will put anaesthetic eye drops in your eye first in order to numb it and prevent any pain.
The foreign body may be stuck underneath your upper eyelid, particularly if you can feel something there, or if you have scratches or grazes (abrasions) on the top half of your cornea (the transparent outer layer of your eye). If this is the case, it may be necessary to gently turn your eyelid inside out to remove the foreign body.
Once the anaesthetic eye drops have worn off, your eye may feel a bit uncomfortable until the abrasion heals. You may also be given antibiotic eye drops (chloramphenicol) to use for five days. This reduces the risk of infection.
If the cells that line the outer surface of your eye (epithelium cells) are damaged, you may be prescribed eye drops (cyclopentolate) that prevent pupil spasm (involuntary contraction) and give the cells time to heal. However, cyclopentolate is not usually recommended for women who are pregnant.
Treating eye pain
If your eye is painful, analgesics (painkillers) may be recommended in order to help reduce the pain. This will usually be in the form of paracetamol or ibuprofen.
However, ibuprofen should not be taken if you have certain medical conditions, such as asthma. Aspirin should not be given to children under 16.
Do not take aspirin for pain relief if your eye is bleeding because this will increase the risk of bleeding.
Preventing infection
In order to prevent infection in your eye after an injury, you may be prescribed a course of eye drops and ointment containing an antibiotic called chloramphenicol. Most people will need to take the eye drops four times a day and use the ointment at night before bedtime, for seven days.
However, you may not be able to take chloramphenicol if:
- using eye drops four times a day is not possible for you, for example, it interferes with work or school
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding (or if you are trying to get pregnant)
- you, or someone in your family, has had a condition that affects the components of your blood, such as aplastic anaemia (a lack of iron in the blood caused by toxins)
If you cannot take chloramphenicol eye drops, you may be prescribed eye drops that contain fusidic acid. These should be used twice a day for seven days.
If you usually wear contact lenses, you should not do so until your eye injury has completely healed. This is because some of the ingredients in eye drops can build up in the contact lens and cause irritation. If you are prescribed antibiotic eye drops, do not start wearing your contact lenses again until 24 hours after finishing your treatment.
If there is a large corneal abrasion present, you may be treated with eye drops (cycloplegia) as they can also prevent an eye spasm (involuntary contraction).
Using eye patches to cover a corneal abrasion is no longer recommended. This is because it does not reduce the healing time or reduce pain.
Treatments for iritis include:
- mydriatic eye drops – these dilate (widen) the pupil to help the eye heal
- steroid eye drops – these help to reduce the inflammation (swelling) of the iris (the coloured part of the eye)
- steroid tablets or steroid injections to the eye may be recommended in severe cases of iritis when eye drops have not been effective
See Health A-Z page on Treating uveitis for more information about treatment options.
Surgery
If you have a laceration (cut) on your eye, depending on the size of the injury and where it is on your eye, stitches and surgery may be required.
If you have an injury involving a crack or break of the bones surrounding your eye (an orbital blowout fracture), surgery will usually be performed one to two weeks after any swelling has gone down.
Follow up
In most cases, corneal eye injuries will heal within 24 to 72 hours. You will need to return to your GP after 24 hours of your initial treatment so that they can check that your eye injury is healing properly.
Your eye will be re-examined using fluorescein eye drops, which stain any abrasions bright green so that they are easier to see. If your eye injury has started to heal, you will need to return to your GP daily until it has healed fully.
However, if your eye injury has not started to heal after 72 hours, or if it has got worse, your GP may refer you to an ophthalmologist (eye specialist) for further specialist care.
