Yes, you may know how to scratch a few records for a large crowd (or at least you did in the 80’s) but do you know what to do if you have a scratched cornea? A scratched cornea can happen to anyone at almost anytime. Even though your eyelashes are designed to help protect your cornea from such disasters, accidents happen. If you are experiencing tenderness, redness, excessive tearing, and the sensation like something is stuck in your eye, then you may have a scratched cornea. But how can you treat it?

Flush It

First things first, you want to flush your eye out.  If there’s something still in your eye that you get it out before it causes more damage. To flush your eye out either grab an eye cup or a clean drinking cup. Then, fill it up to the top with either a saline solution or water. Gently lean over the cup and place your eye into the solution and blink; this will allow the water to enter your eye and get anything out of it. Repeat as necessary until you find some relief.

Don’t Put Anything In It

You may be tempted to rub your eye with your finger or put your contact lenses back in but make sure that you don’t touch your eyes or put anything in them until your eye has healed; this will just make the situation worse.

Schedule an Eye Appointment

If you think that you’ve scratched your cornea, then come into our office to see Dr. Jeffrey Maehara. During your eye exam, he will be able to determine if your cornea is scratched and if it is, just how to treat it. Depending on how severe the scratch is, Dr. Maehara may recommend something as small as letting it heal on its own to something as serious as steroid injections.

If you think you have a scratched cornea, make sure that you follow these tips in this article. To learn more about your vision health and how to take better care of your eyes, schedule a consultation at our Honolulu or Waipahu office today at 808.955.3937.