Eye Injuries: Protect Your Eyes and Your Vision

October 2, 2024

Close-up of young man applying eye drops to treat dry eye and irritation at home

Americans experience approximately 2.5 million eye injuries every year, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. From mild scratches to major trauma, all eye injuries affect your quality of life. If you want to keep your peepers safe, don’t take them for granted.

“Since eye injuries aren’t typically life-threatening, they take a back seat in people’s minds compared to other injuries or illnesses,” says Nadia Haqqie, M.D., assistant professor of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical College and board-certified ophthalmologist at Weill Cornell Medicine. “However, eyesight is crucial. Most of our livelihoods depend on the ability to see well, and eye injuries can be sight-threatening and result in permanent vision loss if not treated.”

Knowing the Risks

While eye injuries have many sources, certain activities are riskier. Some of the most common causes of eye injuries that Dr. Haqqie treats include:

Cleaning or chemical products splashing into the eye
Finger or paw pokes
Fist fights
Nerf gun fights
Welding or metalworking

“Any activity with eye-velocity elements—paintball, power tools, etc.—puts you at risk,” Dr. Haqqie says.

Types of eye injury you may experience include:

Chemical exposure. A chemical accidentally splashes into the eye and may result in pain, impaired vision, excessive tear production and eye spasms.
Corneal abrasion. These are scratches on the cornea, the clear front part of the eye. Your eye may produce extra tears, hurt or become sensitive to light.
Corneal foreign body. A piece of metal or other foreign object lodges into the cornea. Pain, irritation and blurred vision are common, as are eye redness and light sensitivity.
Orbital fracture. A bone surrounding the eyeball breaks during a fistfight, fall or sports injury. Bruising around the eyes is common, as are vision problems, pain and difficulty moving the eye in different directions.
Ruptured globe. The eyeball itself breaks, often from blunt force trauma. You may experience pain, vision difficulty, irregular pupil shape and subconjunctival hemorrhage.
Subconjunctival hemorrhage. A blood vessel in the eye bursts, producing a bright red blood spot on the white of your eye. Trauma or pressure from rubbing your eyes too hard can cause this bleeding.

When to Seek Care for an Eye Injury

It can be tempting to stay home and care for eye injuries on your own. However, this is often not a good idea.

“Unfortunately, few eye injuries can be treated at home,” Dr. Haqqie says. “If you wonder if you should visit an ophthalmologist, the answer is always yes. You can never be too careful when it comes to your eyes.”

Attempting to treat an eye injury at home can lead to further complications, such as:

Infection
Scarring
Vision loss

That said, two injuries may not require immediate medical treatment. Dr. Haqqie says a subconjunctival hemorrhage without pain or vision changes can be monitored at home. Staying home with bruising around the eye may also be safe if there are no other symptoms.

Otherwise, the safest option is to seek care immediately. If something is lodged in your eye, leave it in place and contact an ophthalmologist or emergency room. If chemicals splash in your eyes, rinse them thoroughly with sterile water and have them evaluated by a health-care provider.

Even if it seems your eye injury is healed, seek expert care. This gives you a cushion of comfort, knowing your eye is in good shape. It may also save you from further harm.

“People often assume things will get better without seeking treatment,” Dr. Haqqie says. “This can result in worsened eye injury or damage that could have been prevented.”

An Eye for Diagnosis

Following an eye injury, Dr. Haqqie recommends going to an emergency department staffed with ophthalmologists. These specially trained experts detect and treat eye injuries.

When no ophthalmologist is nearby, you should still seek emergency medical care.

“The best thing you can do to protect your vision is get examined as soon as possible after an eye injury,” Dr. Haqqie says. “Time is of the essence with eye injuries. While not all emergency departments have ophthalmologists or others who are well-versed in eye injuries, the emergency staff will do their best to care for you.”

Diagnosing your issue includes discussing your symptoms and health history and performing an eye examination. If necessary, your provider may perform an imaging exam, such as an ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) scan. These tests help determine the location and extent of your injury.

Treatment Options for Injured Eyes

Once your eye injury is diagnosed, your care team develops a treatment plan. Treatment options offered through Weill Cornell Medicine include:

Eye drops. Antibiotic drops can help prevent infection from developing with a corneal abrasion. Steroid eye drops may help bring healing after an injury caused by high-velocity trauma.
Eye irrigation. When chemicals get in your eyes, rinsing the eye out protects your eye from ongoing chemical exposure. The goal is to restore a healthy pH level within the eye. Doing this can take liters of fluid.
Object removal. Any foreign object in the eye should be removed. Ophthalmologists use precise specialty tools to remove foreign objects without causing further eye damage.
Oral medication. Prescription antibiotics, steroids and other medications help heal many eye injuries. Providers often prescribe medicine along with other treatments, such as eye irrigation.
Surgical repair. A ruptured globe should be repaired within 24 hours of the injury. Severe orbital fractures may also require surgery, but the oculoplastic surgeon often waits for swelling to go down first, which may improve results.

Keep Your Eyes Out of Harm’s Way

Fortunately, eye injuries are largely preventable with proper eye protection. Options include:

Prescription glasses. If you wear prescription glasses, Dr. Haqqie recommends lenses made of shatter-resistant materials. This reduces the risk of your glasses breaking and damaging your eyes during sports and other activities.
Sport-specific protection. Some sports have goggles or other eye protection developed for their specific needs. Always wear these during practice and games. Prevent Blindness lists the proper eyewear for your sport of choice.
Wraparound safety goggles. Metal workers and welders should use this type of eye protection to protect the front and sides of the eyes.

Whether you want help protecting your eyes or overcoming an eye injury, the experts at Weill Cornell Medicine are here to help. Find a provider today.