Eye Injuries: What Are They and How Do You Treat Them?

Eye injuries are serious issues that can cause vision loss. They can happen at work, during sports and recreation, and even at home. In fact, the Eye Injury Snapshot reports that more than 40% of eye injuries happened during home repairs, cooking, cleaning, and yard work. Among those reported, more than 78% did not wear proper eyewear.

Recognizing Eye Injuries

Many an optometrist in Barrington, IL, advises patients to wear proper eyewear and practice proper eye care. The common causes of eye injuries include:

• Corneal abrasions due to rubbing the eyes when a foreign body is present

• Eye penetrations

• Chemical burns

• Swelling due to being struck by a hard object

•  Subconjunctival hemorrhage

Patients with eye injuries experience pain or trouble seeing. Cuts, swelling, discoloration, and unusual pupil size also indicate an eye injury. If one of your eyes does not move as well as the other or sticks out, you should consult your eye specialist immediately.

Treating Eye Injuries

Your trusted eye doctor in Barrington, IL, from Advanced Eyecare Consultants advises immediate medical attention to any eye injury. You should not touch it, apply pressure, or rub the injured eye. Do not attempt to remove any foreign object stuck inside your eyes. You should also stay away from ointments and see our doctor immediately.

Before coming in for treatment, you can apply these first aid procedures:

• If you have cuts or punctures, gently place a shield over the affected eye. You can use the bottom of a clean paper cup. Do not drink any aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs because these can increase bleeding.

• If you have a foreign material inside the eyes, do not rub it. Instead, blink several times and allow your tears to flush out the material. If irritation still exists, consult our doctors immediately.

• You should wash out chemical burns in the eyes using clean water. Seek medical treatment right away.

• If you get struck on the eye, apply a cold compress over the area. This reduces swelling and pain. If you notice discoloration or visual problems, consult us right away.

Eye injuries, when left untreated, can cause serious vision problems and even blindness. Seek our eye doctor in Barrington, IL, for proper treatment. We treat eye emergencies as well as comprehensive eye exams for adults and children alike.

For more eye injury facts, contact us today. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.