What to Do About a Scratched Cornea

Scratched corneas can happen quicker than you think. If something gets trapped under your eyelid, like a fleck of dirt or piece of sand, it can scratch your eye causing a corneal abrasion. If your eye hurts and you don’t experience relief when you close it, it could be your cornea.

Your cornea is the clear layer that covers the iris or the colored part of your eye. It also shields the pupil — the black circle in the middle of your eye. While your eyelashes typically provide enough protection for your eyes, it’s possible that debris can sneak in sometimes. If you’ve never had a scratched cornea, you may be wondering what on earth you should do. Let’s take a closer look at a few tips.

Call Us!

First things first if you think you have scratched a cornea, you should schedule an appointment with us at Keamy Eye and Laser Centre. Even if we can’t see you right away, we should be able to provide you with some tips to help relieve your symptoms and get the healing process started as soon as possible. Depending on how bad the scratch is, we may recommend antibiotic eye drops or just letting it clear up on its own.

Avoid Eye Contact

This suggestion does not refer to looking into someone’s eyes when you’re speaking but you physically coming in contact with your eye. Try not to rub or touch your eye. The less you touch or rub your eye, the sooner they can heal without any risk of further infection. If you’re a contact wearer, that may mean switching to glasses for a few days or weeks until your eye has returned to normal.

Wear Sunglasses

If you have a scratched cornea then your eyes are extremely sensitive. Make sure you’re wearing sunglasses every time you go outside. This additional barrier between your eyes and direct sunlight will help to prevent further damage from happening during the healing process.

Schedule an Appointment

If you think that you have a scratched cornea, schedule an appointment today by giving us a call at 508-836-8733.

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