Foreign Object in the Eye
What to do if you have a freign object in your eye?
Blink a few times to see if it will come out. If blinking doesn't free the object, try to flush it out with clean water or saline solution. Use a clean cup and holding the lower rim of the cup on the bone below your eye, pour the water directly into the eye.
What not to do?
- If the object is imbedded in the eyeball don't remove it rather call for help.
- Don't rub the eye.
- If there is a large object that makes it difficult to close the eyes, don't try to remove it.
What to do to help someone else?
- Clean your hands.
- Have the person sit still in a well-light area.
- Gently examine the eye and locate the object.
- Pull the lower lid down and while the person looks up. Do it the other way, by holding the upper lid and ask the person to look down.
- Try flushing it out if the object is floating on the surface of the eye with clean solution. If the object isn’t floating and that doesn’t work, touch the object carefully with a small cotton ball then after removing it, flush the eye.
Call for emergency medical assistance when:
- The object is difficult to remove.
- The object is imbedded in the eyeball.
- There is abnormal vision.
- After the object is removed there is pain, redness or you continue to feel the sensation of a foreign body.
