Eye injuries
Seeing a doctor
If you have a serious eye injury, you'll usually be seen by an eye specialist called an ophthalmologist or a specialist eye nurse.
You'll be asked how the injury happened, your vision and eye movements will be checked, andthe eye willthen beexamined to determine how severe the injury is.
If there's a foreign object in your eye, they may remove it using water or a cotton wool bud. Local anaesthetic drops are used to numb your eye before any objects are removed.
You may be prescribed a course of antibiotic ointment or eye drops for a week to help prevent infection. Infections after eye injuries are uncommon, but they can potentially be very serious.
If you have a cut on your eye or damage to the bones around your eye, you may need an operation to repair them.
Depending on the severity of your injury, your doctor may recommend a follow-up appointment with your GP the next day to check whether your eye is healing.
Your GP may refer you to an ophthalmologist for further specialist care if your eye hasn't improved after 48 hours or it's got worse.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Read about treating and preventing common types of eye injuries, and find out when you should seek immediate medical advice.
What to do
Minor irritation or injury to the front of the eye usually doesn't require medical treatment and should clear up within24 hours. If you experience discomfort, painkillerssuch as paracetamol or Paink
Flushing your eye
If you have loose particles in your eye or your eye has been exposed to chemicals, flush it out with an eyewash or plenty of clean water for at least 10 to 15 minutes. If you wear contact lenses, reme
Whento seek immediate medical advice
You should go immediately to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E)department if you have: persistent or severe eye pain foreign bodies that can't be washed out decreased or double vision
Seeing a doctor
If you have a serious eye injury, you'll usually be seen by an eye specialist called an ophthalmologist or a specialist eye nurse. You'll be asked how the injury happened, your vision and eye movemen
Preventing eye injuries
Many eye injuries are preventable if youtake appropriate safety precautionsduring leisure activities or workfor example, wearing eye protection when hammeringmetal and using power tools. You should a
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