Have you ever gotten a grain of sand, an eyelash or a tiny piece of debris in your eye and felt like you could not think about anything else? Now imagine that irritating feeling does not go away, even after rinsing your eye. You may have a corneal abrasion.
What is A Corneal Abrasion?
A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the clear surface at the front of your eye. The scratch itself may be tiny, but because the eye is so sensitive, it can cause surprisingly intense discomfort. Your eye may water constantly, become red or feel as though something is trapped beneath your eyelid.
Although many corneal abrasions are minor, an injured eye should not be ignored. Prompt evaluation can relieve discomfort, rule out a more serious injury and help prevent infection or damage to your vision.
How Does a Corneal Abrasion Happen?
Corneal abrasions often happen during ordinary activities. You might accidentally poke your eye while applying makeup, get scratched by a fingernail while playing with a child or rub your eye when dust is trapped beneath the eyelid.
Other common causes include:
- Sand, dirt, sawdust or grass clippings
- Tree branches, paper edges or makeup brushes
- Damaged or improperly worn contact lenses
- Debris from yard work, construction or home projects
Sometimes the cause is obvious. Other times, you may wake up with eye pain and have no idea when the scratch occurred.
What Does a Scratched Cornea Feel Like?
Many people first notice the persistent feeling that something is stuck in their eye. Blinking may be uncomfortable, and keeping the eye open can become difficult. You may also experience:
- Sharp, burning or aching pain
- Redness
- Excessive tearing
- Blurry vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Swelling around the eye
- A gritty or sandy sensation
Because these symptoms can also occur with infections and other eye conditions, ongoing or severe discomfort should be evaluated.
What Should You Do If You Scratch Your Eye?
Your first instinct may be to rub your eye, but doing so can make the scratch worse. Instead, gently rinse the eye with clean water or sterile saline. Blinking several times may also allow your natural tears to wash away loose dust or debris.
Avoid using tweezers, cotton swabs or your fingers to remove something from your eye. If an object appears stuck, embedded or difficult to remove, leave it alone and seek medical attention.
Contact lens wearers should remove their lenses and avoid putting them back in until the eye has healed. Wearing lenses over an injured cornea may increase irritation and the risk of infection.
When Should You See an Eye Doctor?
It can be difficult to tell a minor scratch from a deeper injury or developing infection. Seek prompt medical attention if:
- The pain is severe or getting worse
- Your vision is blurry or has changed
- You cannot comfortably open your eye
- Redness or tearing does not improve
- You still feel something is stuck in the eye
- The injury involved metal, glass or fast-moving debris
- You notice discharge or swelling
- You wear contact lenses and develop pain or redness
Chemical exposure, significant trauma and objects embedded in the eye require immediate medical attention. If a chemical enters the eye, begin flushing it with clean water right away before seeking emergency care.
Do Not Ignore Persistent Eye Pain
Many small abrasions heal within a few days, but not every painful eye should be treated at home. A deeper scratch, infection or hidden foreign object may require additional care.
If eye pain, redness, light sensitivity or vision changes do not improve, contact The Cataract Surgeons to schedule an evaluation. Our team can identify the cause of your symptoms and recommend the appropriate treatment to help protect your eye health and vision.
