What to Do When There’s a Foreign Body in Your Eye

A foreign body in your eye is an object that gets in the eye but doesn’t belong there, such as a particle of dust. Foreign bodies in your eye usually affect the conjunctiva or cornea. A foreign object that ends up on the front part of the eye isn’t able to get behind the eyeball and will instead cause scratches on the cornea. These scratches are typically minor but sometimes they can damage your vision or cause infection. If you live in or around the Midland area, you should see our eye doctor at Urias Eyecare after a foreign body gets in your eye to protect your eyesight.

Getting Emergency Care from an Optometrist

If there is a foreign body in your eye, the right diagnosis and treatment can help avoid any loss of vision and prevent infection. Removing the object yourself could cause damage, especially if the object has chemicals, rough or sharp edges, or was propelled in the eye at a high speed. If it’s embedded in the eye or causing bleeding then you will require immediate medical help.

Avoid Further Injury to the Eye

To avoid any further injury from foreign bodies in your eye, before you see an optometrist there are some things you need to do. You should restrict your eye movement, bandage the eye, or use a paper cup to cover the eye if the object is too large. You should also get someone to help you and cover the uninjured eye, which will help prevent any eye movement in the affected eye.

What to Do After the Object Is Removed

Even after seeking treatment from an eye doctor, you may still need further treatment at an optometry clinic if you have an abnormal vision, there is a cloudy spot on your cornea, you still have the sensation of something in your eye, or there is abnormal tearing or blinking. If you have succeeded in getting the object removed then you should start to feel better in about one to two hours.

Follow Up Care from an Optometry Clinic

Even if you succeed in getting the object out on your own, follow up care in Midland is needed to make sure there is no damage. Contact Urias Eyecare today at (432) 368-4102 if you or a loved one has recently dealt with a foreign body in the eye.