Home Remedy for Eye Abrasions

Eye abrasions occur when the eye's outer surface (the cornea) is poked or scratched with a foreign object. This can including rubbing your eyes after dust or sand gets into them. It can also be caused by a blow to the eye, where the object makes contact with the cornea. For example, getting poked in the eye by a finger can cause a corneal abrasion if the eyelid is not closed when the contact occurs.

Rinsing with Water

• One of the first instincts a person will have when he gets a foreign object in his eye is to rub it. This is not recommended--rubbing the eye will only grind the foreign object into the cornea, possibly increasing the amount of damage. If you know that a minor irritant such as dust or sand has gotten into your eye and caused an abrasion, the best form of immediate treatment is to flush your eye out with water. Because of the possibility of infection if bacteria get into an open wound, it's advisable to use distilled water or another "clean" water source.

Artificial Tears and Contact Lenses

• If rinsing the eye out with water does not work, using artificial tears or lubricants can be an effective solution. These are frequently used by people with contact lenses to help relieve dry eyes, but can also work to flush out foreign objects and provide soothing relief to scratched corneas. It's important to note that people who wear contact lenses are more likely to get infections after a corneal abrasion than people who don't--it's a good idea to be extra careful if you wear contacts and avoid wearing them for at least one day until the symptoms are completely gone.

  Depending on the amount of eye pain, an over-the-counter pain medicine can be taken to provide temporary relief.

Resting Your Eyes

• Resting your eyes can help relieve the symptoms of eye abrasions. Even the simple act of reading a book or looking around the room requires moving the cornea--which can cause further irritation or damage. Closing your eyes in a dark room for a short period of time is a useful way to give your eyes time to heal.

Follow Up

• Most eye abrasions are minor and don't require significant follow up. However, as with any cut or open wound, there is always the possibility of infection. If home treatment doesn't work or symptoms get worse, see your personal physician--although it's normally not necessary for medical treatment, a round of antibiotics might be needed as a precautionary measure.