The cornea is the clear, protective outer layer of your eye that is responsible for focusing the light so you can see clearly. While the human cornea is avascular (has no blood vessels), it’s full of nerve endings that alert your brain in an instant if anything unwelcome enters your eyes. It’s a highly sensitive and delicate organ.
If you’ve ever had an eye lash stuck in your eyes, you’re probably aware how intense and uncomfortable the sensations in your eye can get. But unlike a rogue eyelash, corneal abrasions involve the surface of the eye sustaining actual damage, which means the pain lasts until the scratch is healed. Because the abrasion is grazed by the eye lid every time you blink, it can take up to a week for it to fully recover. In addition to pain, the additional symptoms you may experience include, tearing, redness, increased sensitivity to light or blurriness of vision.
What Causes Corneal Abrasions?
Generally, we’re quite adept at keeping unwanted intruders out of our eyes. We have eyelashes that keep dust and other small particles of debris out of the eyes and the tiny bits that manage to enter the eyes are washed away by tears. Still, there are numerous ways you can sustain a corneal abrasion.
And it doesn’t have to be traumatic event, such as getting hit or poked in the eye, to cause an abrasion. Potential culprits include fairly innocuous ones such as fingers and pets to makeup brushes and sports equipment. And corneal abrasions can happen to people of all ages as well. Children can sustain corneal abrasions just as easily as adults, especially if they partake in outdoor activities where there’s a high chance of dust, sand and other small particles entering the eyes.
What to Do – and What Not to Do
The immediate aftermath of sustaining a corneal abrasion is a critical period, and it’s important to know what you should do and what you should not do. Here are some safe options should a foreign object end up in your eye:
· Rinse your eye with a saline solution
· Blink
· Wear shades if you’re eyes are sensitive to light
· Contact your optometrist immediately
Here are the things you shouldn’t do:
· Don’t rub your eyes
· Don’t touch your eyes with things like tweezers and q-tips
· Don’t wear contact lenses
Providing optometry services to all in North Miami, Dr. Gilberg & Associates can help you with whatever vision problem you may have. We also provide care for eye diseases and are connected with some of the best contact lenses miami beach in the state in case you require surgery. Whatever you need, you can be sure that we’ve got it covered. Book an appointment online for an eye exam in North Miami or call 786-500-2020 to talk to a representative.
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