How To Treat A Corneal Abrasion

Inspect Eye For Stuck Particles

Any sort of particle in the eye can worsen a corneal abrasion, but it may be hard to tell if there is actually something there because the abrasion itself often feels like there is something in the eye. Therefore, patients need to inspect eye for stuck particles like eyelashes, dirt, grit, or anything else causing the gritty sensation. The easiest way to do this is by using a mirror in a well-lit room and opening the eye as wide as possible and see if there is anything visible in it. Patients should look up, down, left, and right while gently pulling the eyelids away from the surface of the eye to see as much of the eyeball as possible. If individuals see something there, they may gently touch it with a clean, dry hand to remove it. Keep in mind this is only a good option if the fragment is loose on the surface of the eye. If patients have something actually embedded in the surface of their eye, they should seek immediate emergency medical treatment.

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Use Of Antibiotic Eye Drops Or Ointment

Antibiotic eye drops are essentially an eye-safe method of applying antibiotics directly to the eye. Some of them may have other medications included to help heal the eye even more. Eye drops are fairly easy to use, since patients drop the liquid into their open eye. In the case of an ointment, patients may need to apply it along the inner rim of their eyelid and then blink to spread it on their eyeball. The use of antibiotic eye drops or ointment is only recommended if a doctor tells patients to use them because they are not necessary for lighter corneal abrasions. In cases with more severe abrasions, antibiotics are useful because they help fight off infections. However, patients should keep in mind if they use antibiotics, they need to follow the full course of medication instead of throwing the drops away once their eye gets better. Using an incomplete dosage of antibiotics can allow some bacteria in the eye to survive and develop a resistance to the medication.

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