First Aid
Corneal abrasion (scratch)
The most common types of eye injury involve the cornea the clear, protective "window" at the front of the eye. Contact with dust, dirt, sand, wood shavings, metal particles or even an edge of a piece of paper can scratch or cut the cornea. Usually the scratch is superficial, and this is called a corneal abrasion. Some corneal abrasions become infected and result in a corneal ulcer, which is a serious problem.Everyday activities can lead to corneal abrasions. Examples are playing sports, doing home repairs or being scratched by children who accidentally brush your cornea with a fingernail. Other common injuries to the cornea include splash accidents contact with chemicals ranging from antifreeze cleaners. Because the cornea is extremely sensitive, abrasions can be painful. If your cornea is scratched, you might feel like you have sand in your eye. Tears, blurred vision, increased sensitivity or redness around the eye can suggest a corneal abrasion. In case of injury, seek prompt medical attention. Other immediate steps you can take for a corneal abrasion are to: Use clean water or saline solution to rinse the eye. Use an eyecup or small, clean glass positioned with its rim resting on the bone at the base of your eye socket. If your work site has an eye-rinse station, use it to run lukewarm tap water over the eye or splash the eye. Rinsing the eye may wash out an offending foreign body. Blink several times. This movement may remove small particles of dust or sand. Pull the upper eyelid over the lower eyelid. The lashes of the lower eyelid can brush a foreign body from the undersurface of the upper eyelid. Take caution to avoid certain actions that may aggravate the injury: Don't try to remove an object that's imbedded in the eyeball. Also avoid trying to remove a large object that makes closing the eye difficult. Don't rub your eye after an injury. Touching or pressing on the eye can worsen a corneal abrasion
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