Contents:
Medical Video: How to Remove a Foreign Body From Your Eye
1. Definition
What is a foreign object in the eye?
This occurs if the eyes slip or enter small objects ranging from strands of eyelashes and crust of eye droppings, to sand, dust, facial scrub grains, and other small particles that can be blown into the eye.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Common signs of eye discharge due to foreign objects are irritation of redness, pain, and discharge of tears. Rubbing the eyes can cause the foreign object to scratch the cornea, the outer membrane in the eye.
2. How to overcome them
What should I do?
First Aid in Glass Shards on the Upper Eyelid
Ask your child to look down and close their eyes while you blow their eyes to release broken glass that is on the eyelid. Certain glass fragments can be removed by attaching insulation to the eyelids, and gently pulling. Rinse the eyelids with water to shed the remnants of broken glass. Cover your eyes with a damp cloth and immediately go to the doctor. Don't rub your eyes.
First Aid To Foreign Objects In The Eyes
If the eyes slip with a variety of foreign objects (such as dust or sand), clean the area around the eyes with a damp cloth first. Then, ask your child to continue blinking repeatedly as he soaked his face in a basin of water to shed the sand particles that stick to his eyes. If your child is still too small to do this on his own, you can lie on your child's side and rinse the eyes that slip with a continuous warm water for 5 minutes. Remind your child to always open their eyes during the flushing, or ask someone for help to hold your child.
First Aid to Foreign Objects in the Eye Corner
If foreign particles stick or settle in the corner of the eye, use a damp cloth, isolation, or a damp cotton bud to remove the foreign object.
First Aid To Foreign Objects In The Lower Eyelid
Pinch the cheek, or pull the lower lid, slowly until the skin in the lower lid is visible. Wipe the foreign particles out of the petals using a damp cotton bud. If it doesn't work, splash it with clean water while you hold the lower lid open.
First Aid To Foreign Objects In The Upper Eyelid
If the particle is not visible, this object may stick inside the upper lid, where a foreign object is hiding. Ask your child to continue to blink slowly repeatedly as he soaks his face in a basin of water to shed foreign particles that stick to the eye. If you have eye drops or eyewash products, you can use one of them. If it doesn't work, pull it up when the eyes close. That way, the lower petals will be able to pull the foreign particles out from inside the upper petals.
When do I have to see a doctor?
Contact your doctor immediately, if
- These foreign particles are involved in the eyeball (especially the cornea)
- Fluid out or bleeding from the eyeball
- Objects about the eye at high speed (for example reflected off a grass cutter)
- Sharp objects about the eyes
- The first aid you do does not succeed in removing foreign particles in the eye and the itchy and stinging sensation does not disappear
- Vision does not return to normal after the eye has been rested for approximately one hour
- A foreign object has been removed, but the irritation and flicker lasts more than two hours
While waiting in the doctor's waiting room, cover your eyes with a damp cloth or bandage to ease the pain. If the movement of the eyeball causes pain, close both eyes.
3. Prevention
Protecting your eyes is the best step. Most eye injuries, especially as a result of high-speed foreign objects that can tear the eyeball, will cause loss of vision.
Always use eye protection when in a work environment that is at high risk of dust from large chunks or involves high-speed work that causes foreign objects to be thrown.
Not only protects the front of the eye, good eye protection must also protect the side of the eye. Ordinary glasses are not sturdy enough as eye protection when in a high-risk work environment. Use special glasses (goggles) that have side protectors.