How to Get an Object Out of the Eye

Eye injuries effect over 2.5 million people each year, according to The Ohio State University Medical Center. Objects in the eye can pose a serious danger if not treated properly. Common eye irritants, such as dust, pollen and other debris, can cause irritation and threaten vision. Metal objects and toy projectiles, if they become lodged in they eye, can cause a more serious injury. Although wearing protective goggles can help prevent some eye injuries and irritations, knowing proper first aid and eye treatment can help save your sight. If you do get something caught in the eye, the following steps will provide you with the proper information for removal and treatment.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Cotton swab

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Instructions

• 1

  Assess the situation. Is the person's vision abnormal? Is his eye swollen? Is there bleeding? Don't remove an object that is actually embedded in the eye. Instead, seek immediate medical treatment, according to Jacob L. Heller, MD, Emergency Medicine, with Virginia Mason Medical Center.

• 2

  Wash your hands. They should be clean and sanitary to prevent infection.

• 3

  Using your fingers, gently pull down on the person's lower eyelid to see if there is any debris. Check under the upper eyelid as well. This should be done while having the person look up and down and side to side.

• 4

  Remove the object. If debris can be seen, use a cotton swab to remove the debris or flush the eye with water. A cotton swab should only be used on the eyelids, not the eye itself, since it can scratch the cornea. If you can't locate the object or can't remove it with a cotton swab, do an eye flush. Have the person tilt their head to the side with the affected eye towards the ground. Pour lukewarm water from the bridge of the nose so it runs across the affected eye, attempting to flush out the object. This should allow the water to run across the eye and under both eyelids.

• 5

  If the eye flush is unsuccessful in removing the irritant, seek medical help. (Medical help should be sought immediately after flushing the eye of any chemical irritant.) In the meantime, do not rub or press on the eye in an attempt to find the object, since damage could result. Contacts, if they didn't fall out during the eye flush, should be left in unless there is swelling or the injury is chemical in nature.