Foreign object injuries are the most common injuries seen in optometry clinics. Foreign objects are particles that reach the eye and lodge in the surface layers. These can include metal particles, wood splinters, insects and dust.
Common signs and symptoms of a foreign object injury are:
- A gritty feeling in the eye;
- Redness;
- Excessive tearing;
- High sensitivity to light;
- Swelling of the eyelids.
How urgently should you consult your optometrist?
- You have received a foreign object thrown violently into your eye (e.g., a piece of metal or wood) or during trauma to the face;
- You feel intense pain in your eye, or your vision is blurred;
- You have a foreign object stuck or embedded in your eyeball;
- You have a wound in your eye.
If your situation is not urgent?
You have a solid, superficial foreign body in the eye, for example, eyelash, grain of sand, small particles, etc.
First:
- Do not rub the affected eye;
- Wash your hands;
- Remove your contact lenses if you wear them.
To remove the foreign object from the eye, here are three methods:
- Lift the upper eyelid and bring it back over the lower eyelid. This allows the eyelashes of the lower eyelid to sweep across the surface of the eye and remove the small foreign object (dust, eyelash);
- Blink several times and let the eye flush out the foreign object;
- Run warm water over the eye without touching it to expel the foreign object and clean the eye.
- Never use a toothpick, match, tweezers or other hard objects to remove a foreign body from the eye.
If you are unable to remove the foreign object, do not insist. If you don't remove the foreign object, you may push it deeper or infect the eye.
It may be necessary to consult your optometrist if:
- The foreign object is still present;
- The foreign object is gone, but pain or an abnormal sensation persists;
- Pain, discomfort, redness and constant tearing appear.
What treatment is available at your optometrist's office?
The first step of the examination is to use an eye drop dye to observe the foreign object and the damaged tissue. If the foreign object is stuck to the eye's surface, i.e., the cornea or conjunctiva, it will be dislodged by simply washing it with a saline solution or rubbing it with a cotton swab.
If the foreign object is lodged in the ocular tissue, it will be removed with small precision instruments such as needles or tweezers.
Removing a foreign object from the eye's surface leaves an open wound. To prevent infection, the patient is often prescribed antibiotic drops or ointments. During the first week, the eye may be sensitive; eye lubricants are used to relieve this.
Bandages are rarely used to protect the eye. Instead, a contact lens is used during the first few days of healing.
Follow-up with the optometrist
Depending on the injury's severity and the foreign object's nature, the optometrist will conduct follow-up examinations a few days after the incident. If the patient is prescribed an antibiotic, the optometrist will re-evaluate the injured tissue and document the healing process.
