1. What it means
Is something from outside getting in your eye?
This can occur when you rub your eye or when tiny things, like loose eyelashes, dried eye gunk, sand, dirt, little pieces from face scrubs, or other small stuff floating in the air, get into your eye.
What are the telltale signs?
If something gets in the eye, it usually gets red, hurts, and makes you cry. Rubbing the eye can damage the clear front part called the cornea.
2. What to do about it
How to handle it?
Help for Glass in the Eyelid
Ask your child to look down and close their eyes. Blow on their eye to try and remove the glass from the eyelid. You might be able to stick tape to the eyelid to lift off some pieces of glass. Rinse the eyelid with water to get rid of any leftover bits. Put a wet cloth over the eye and see a doctor right away. Don't rub the eye.
Help for Objects in the Eye
If something like dust or sand gets in the eye, first clean around the eye with a wet cloth. Then, have your child blink slowly many times while putting their face in a bowl of water to wash out the particles.
Turn the child to their side and gently wash their blinking eyes with a container of lukewarm water constantly for 5 minutes. Tell the child to keep opening their eyes while rinsing, or have someone help hold their eyes open.
First Aid for Things in the Corner of the Eye
If something gets stuck or lands in the corner of the eye, use a wet cloth or cotton swab to take it out.
First Aid for Things Under the Lower Eyelid
Gently pull down the lower eyelid until you can see the inside skin. Use a damp cotton swab to wipe away any particles you see. If that doesn't work, splash clean water on the eye while holding the eyelid open.
First Aid for Things Under the Upper Eyelid
If you can't see the object, it might be stuck under the upper eyelid. Have the child blink slowly many times while putting their face in a bowl of water to try to wash the object out. You can also use eye drops or eyewash if you have them.
If something gets in your eye, lift the top lid up and away from your eyeball as you shut your eye. This helps the bottom lid to brush against the top lid and remove any dirt.
When should you go to the doctor?
See a doctor right away if:
- Something gets stuck in your eye (especially on the cornea, the clear front part).
- There's fluid or blood coming from your eye.
- Something hits your eye fast (like from a lawn mower).
- Something sharp hurts your eye.
- You try first aid, but you still can't get something out of your eye, and it still feels scratchy.
- Your vision is blurry after resting your eyes for about an hour.
- You got something out of your eye, but it still hurts and you're blinking a lot after two hours.
- While you wait to see the doctor, cover your eyes with a wet cloth or bandage to make them feel better. If it hurts to move your eyes, keep both eyes closed.
3. How to Keep Your Eyes Safe
It's best to protect your eyes. Most eye injuries, especially from things flying fast that can tear the eyeball, can make you lose your sight.
Always wear safety glasses or goggles when working where there's a lot of dust, big pieces of stuff, or things that might fly into your eyes at high speed.
Good eye protection should cover not just the front of your eye, but also the sides.
Regular glasses don't offer enough safety for your eyes in dangerous workplaces. Wear safety goggles, which include shields on the sides.