How to Heal an Eye Injury

Most eye injuries occur when something irritates the eye's outer surface. You may rub your eye due to allergies or an irritation, have something scratch the eye while you're working on a project, receive a blow to your eye, have some chemical or other solution spray into your eye or simply have a piece of dust or even an eyelash blow into your eye. Aside from serious eye injuries, individuals can begin the healing process for many eye injuries themselves.

Things You'll Need

• Eye cup
• Water
• Eye patch
• Cold packs
• Serile bandages, gauze and tape, or clean cloths
• Allergy eye drops

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Instructions

Black Eye

• 1

  Place a cold compress over your eye if you have a "black eye." This will help reduce any swelling that may occur. Repeat this procedure at least five times for the first two days following the injury.

• 2

  Take aspirin or ibuprofen to help manage any pain.

• 3

  Maintain your head in an elevated position, including while you sleep (extra pillows). If your vision becomes blurred or painful, if you see any kind of bleeding or discharge or if you experience other eye abnormalities, contact an ophthalmologist immediately.

Allergies

• 4

  Treat eye irritations caused by allergies with eye drops. An ophthalmologist or allergist can provide a prescription for eye drops that will soothe irritated eyes due to allergies.

• 5

  Don't rub your eyes. Repeatedly rubbing irritated eyes can cause further injury.

• 6

  Request a different prescription if the original prescription doesn't soothe your eyes.

Debris in Eye

• 7

  Wash out your eye with warm water, using an eye cup (or any cup that will cover your eye and allow you to swish warm water over it) if you feel that debris has entered your eye.

• 8

  Allow the water to wash over your eye repeatedly for about 10 minutes. Use sterile (boiled and cooled) water if available.

• 9

  Contact an ophthalmologist if the irritation doesn't subside.

Scratch, Puncture or Penetratration

• 10

  Cover your eye with an eye patch or piece of gauze immediately if something scratches, punctures or penetrates your eye.

• 11

  Do not rub your eye or attempt to remove any foreign object yourself.

• 12

  Visit an ophthalmologist or the emergency room of a hospital immediately.