A corneal abrasion, also known as a corneal eye scratch, often feels like a speck of sand in your eye that won’t come out. These injuries can cause multiple uncomfortable symptoms, including severe eye pain, light sensitivity, and blurred vision.
You may feel intense pain when looking at a bright light or notice a spot of blood or an area of redness in the white area of your eye.
If you have injured your eye, schedule an appointment at The Urgency Room to speak with an emergency-trained provider.
What Is A Corneal Abrasion?
A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the cornea, the clear outer layer that covers the iris and pupil. An object scratching your eye causes these abrasions, creating a tear in that tissue.
Some people don’t even notice they’ve injured their eye until they look in the mirror and see a spot of red, while others experience more severe symptoms. The severity of your symptoms depends on whether you’ve scratched the white part of your eye or damaged the cornea.
A corneal abrasion can cause permanent damage to your vision if it isn’t treated, so it’s important to seek treatment. We recommend doing so at a physical location as quickly as possible.
Diagnosing a Corneal Abrasion
When you seek urgent care for a scratched cornea, your healthcare provider will examine your eye for damage. They will likely use a slit lamp to examine your eye more closely. This diagnostic tool can only be found in an emergency room or an optometrist’s office.
First, your doctor may use a dropper to administer a dye to your eye. This will highlight the extent of the damage to your cornea when viewed with the slit lamp.
After your healthcare provider evaluates the injury, you’ll be given an eye scratch treatment plan to follow, which typically involves at-home care instructions.
Symptoms of a Corneal Abrasion
Symptoms of a corneal abrasion can include:
- Pain when closing and opening the eye
- You feel like you have a particle or object in your eye
- Blurred vision
- You are sensitive to light
Common Causes of Corneal Abrasions
A variety of things can cause a corneal abrasion. This injury can happen while playing with your pets, cooking, or working in an area exposed to floating wood particles or rust.
Here’s a brief list of the most common causes of corneal abrasions:
- Fingernails
- Animal paws
- Branches
- Pieces of paper
- Tiny pieces of rust
- Wood
- Glass
- Plastic
- Contact lenses
What To Do for a Scratched Eye: First Aid Dos and Don’ts
If you believe you’ve scratched your eye, seeking professional treatment is important.
However, you can follow these ophthalmologist-recommended steps when you need an eye scratch treatment plan to get you through until your appointment.
- Rinse your eyes with clean water or a saline solution. This will help remove any dust particles, glass fragments, etc., that may be left in your eye and prevent further damage.
- Blink. Blinking can also help clear any remaining particles from your eye.
- Wear sunglasses. Sunglasses will help protect your sensitive eye from the light and help reduce some of your symptoms, including eye pain and headaches.
- Don’t rub or touch your eye. It may be tempting to rub your eye with your finger to remove any leftover debris, but this can worsen the corneal abrasion.
- Don’t wear contacts. If you require a prescription, stick to eyeglasses. Wearing contacts will slow the healing process and further irritate your damaged eye.
- Don’t use objects or any material to try to remove debris.
- If possible, avoid over-the-counter drops. Over-the-counter eyedrops may be tempting, but they won’t help you heal faster and may cause further pain.
Note: You should also avoid redness-relief drops, as they can irritate a scratched eye.
How To Soothe a Scratched Eye
Aside from the basic first aid we mentioned, you can do a few other things to soothe a scratched eye. Remember that you must meet with a healthcare professional to develop a comprehensive eye-scratch treatment plan.
While there are things you can do at home to prevent further damage and ease discomfort, it’s not a replacement for professional medical treatment.
Here are a few things you can do to soothe a scratched eye at home:
- Use a cool compress to ease inflammation and discomfort
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatories if necessary
Treatment Options for Corneal Abrasions
This type of injury is typically treated at home. Eye scratches are quite common and usually heal on their own, aided by at-home care. If your doctor gave you specific care instructions, be sure to follow them.
Here are a few steps you can take to help you recover from your corneal eye scratch:
- Tylenol and ibuprofen will help with the pain from the abrasion
- Use antibiotic ointment or prescribed eye drops as directed by your healthcare provider
- Finish any medications with antibiotics in them
- Avoid wearing contacts until your eye is healed
What Happens if You Don’t Treat a Scratched Eye?
The consequences of untreated eye injury depend on its severity. Minor scratches will likely heal within a few days, but a true corneal abrasion requires medical treatment.
Not seeking treatment for a corneal abrasion can lead to a variety of unpleasant consequences, including:
- Infections
- Scars
- Long-term and lasting vision problems
If you’re unsure about the severity of your injury, set up an appointment to discuss your symptoms with a trained medical professional. They can guide you on the best course of action to take.
When to Choose Urgent Care Vs. Emergency Room for a Scratched Eye
It’s always a safe bet to seek medical attention for any eye injury. Whether you go to urgent care or the emergency room may depend on a few factors.
Pain Level
What’s the pain level? If your eye is simply irritated and you’re not experiencing extreme pain, urgent care may be the better choice.
Swelling
For mild swelling, you may want to go to an urgent care center. If there is significant swelling, however, you may need to go to the emergency room.
Bleeding
If your eye is bleeding, you should go to the emergency room.
Cost & Capability
Finally, note that not every urgent care center is fully equipped to handle an emergency. That said, emergency rooms will cost the injured person much more.
Can Urgent Care Treat My Eye Injury?
Urgent care can absolutely treat your eye injury, and the bill may be more affordable if that’s the route you choose.
Note: If you believe your injury is an emergency, please seek immediate medical attention.
Prevention Tips: Corneal Eye Scratch
A good way to prevent a corneal eye scratch is to avoid using your fingers or objects to scratch an itchy eye. Additionally, if you work in construction or manufacturing, where many abrasive tools are used, be sure to wear proper eyewear.
If you notice a particle or small object has entered your eye, you should avoid rubbing it. Seek medical help or proper first aid steps immediately.
Healing Timeline: How Long Does a Scratched Eye Take to Heal?
Healing time for a scratched eye can vary. However, most mild scratches can heal within a day or two of the injury. Larger, more major eye scratches may take longer and could require ongoing treatment for healing.
What If My Eye Scratch Won’t Heal?
If you notice your eye scratch won’t heal, seek the help of a medical professional. An infection or other serious issues may be occurring.
Will an Eye Patch Help?
Many people think a patch over the eye will help the corneal abrasion heal, but this belief is incorrect. If you patch your eye, you may delay healing and increase your risk of infection. Going without a patch is much better, as the cornea replaces itself every five days.
FAQs
Will my scratched eye heal on its own?
With the proper care, a scratched eye or corneal abrasion can heal in one to two days.
Should I wear contact lenses after scratching my cornea?
You should avoid contacts until your eye has fully healed.
What if I think I have something in my eye?
Clean water or sterile saline can help remove materials in your eye. If concerned, do seek medical help.
How serious is a corneal abrasion?
Corneal abrasions and other types of eye scratches can be very serious. They may lead to infection or even vision problems.
When to Return to the Doctor
Your symptoms should gradually improve over the next two days. If you don’t see improvement, seeing an eye doctor immediately is vital.
Come back to the Urgency Room if:
- You can’t get in to see an eye doctor
- Pain is worse
- Vision difficulties are increasing
- You notice yellow drainage from your eye scratches
Corneal abrasions and other injuries that cause eye pain must be handled with care to avoid infections and other complications.
You’ve got a team of health professionals ready to help you—schedule a same-day appointment at The Urgency Room.