Overview
An eye injury is any damage to the eye itself or the surrounding tissues, such as the eyelids. Injuries may be mild, like irritation from dust, or serious, like a deep cut, chemical burn, or injury from a high-speed object. Because eyesight is delicate, even an injury that seems small can become serious.
Key Symptoms
Symptoms can include eye pain, redness, tearing, swelling, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, or a feeling that something is in the eye. Some people also notice blood in the white part of the eye, bruising around the eye, or trouble opening the eye. Sudden vision loss, double vision, or a misshapen pupil are warning signs.
Causes and Risk Factors
Common causes include flying particles from work or home repairs, sports injuries, falls, car crashes, chemical splashes, heat, and fireworks. Contact lenses can also contribute to some injuries or complications, especially if the eye is already irritated. Risk is higher when protective eyewear is not used or when tools, machinery, or chemicals are handled without care.
Who Is Affected
Eye injuries can affect people of any age. They are more common in people who work with tools, chemicals, or machinery, and in people who play contact or racquet sports. Children may also be injured during play, crafts, or by household products.
Prevention
Wear proper eye protection when using tools, doing yard work, handling chemicals, or playing sports with eye risk. Keep chemicals, sharp objects, and fireworks away from children, and follow product instructions carefully. Use caution with contact lenses and avoid sleeping in them unless a clinician has advised it.
Diagnosis and Tests
A healthcare professional may ask how the injury happened and check vision, eye movement, the surface of the eye, and the area around it. Special lights, dye, or imaging tests may be used to look for scratches, foreign bodies, fractures, or deeper damage. Chemical injuries are treated as urgent because they can rapidly harm the eye.
Treatment Categories
Treatment depends on the type of injury and may include flushing the eye, removing a foreign object, protecting the eye, or referral to an eye specialist. Some injuries need urgent procedures or surgery, while others need close monitoring to prevent infection or vision problems. Do not try to remove a stuck object or use medicines in the eye unless a healthcare professional advises it.
When to Seek Medical Care
Seek medical care promptly if pain does not improve, the eye stays red, or there is ongoing tearing, swelling, or light sensitivity. You should also get checked if something may still be in the eye, if the injury was caused by metal, glass, or chemicals, or if you wear contact lenses and develop worsening symptoms. Any change in vision after an eye injury should be assessed.
When It May Be an Emergency
Get emergency help right away for sudden vision loss, severe eye pain, heavy bleeding, a cut to the eye, or an object stuck in the eye. Chemical splashes need immediate flushing with clean water while emergency care is being arranged. A strong blow to the eye, new double vision, severe swelling, or inability to move the eye normally also need urgent attention.