First Aid for Corneal Abrasion

Eyes are very delicate and sensitive organs. The most common type of eye injury is that of the cornea. Cornea is a fine film that protects the front layer of the eye. Objects like sand, dirt, metals and dust can destroy the cornea. When a scratch on the cornea is superficial, it is known as corneal abrasion. If not treated on time, the cornea results in corneal ulcer.

Corneal abrasion is painful and results in blurred vision and watering of the eyes. The eyes also become red and you may end up getting a headache. A few first aid steps that you can follow:-

First aid for Corneal Abrasion

Splash your Eyes with Water

There is nothing better than water. Splash your eyes with fresh water or you can also use a saline solution if it’s available. You can also fill a small glass with water and place in your eye socket so that your eyes are dipped in it. 

Blink your Eyes

Blinking your eyes a couple of times will help the sand or dust particles to come out with tears.

Pull the Upper Eyelid over the Lower ones

By pulling the upper eyelids over the lower ones; it will help in sweeping away the dust particles from your upper eyelid surface. 

Ways to be Cautious to Prevent Corneal Abrasion 

• If there’s any particle or an object in the eye ball, do not try to remove it. Do not try to remove anything that can make it difficult for your eyes to close.

• Avoid rubbing your eyes after any injury as touching the eyes can make corneal abrasion worse.

• Do not try to take off objects with tweezers, cotton swabs or any equipment as this can worsen the corneal abrasion. 

Follow the above first aid steps to prevent the corneal abrasion from getting worse. The above first aid technique can prevent from aggravating the situation.