How to treat eye injuries

About 2,000 people suffer a job-related eye injury daily, and about a third of these injuries are treated in emergency rooms.

Most injuries can be prevented with proper safety gear, but responding properly is helpful if you experience an eye emergency.

• Speck in the eye. This isn’t necessarily serious, but it could become more serious if you rub your eye, so don’t do it. Flush with large amounts of water. If the speck does not wash out, see a doctor.
• Foreign objects, cuts, or punctures in the eyeball. Your goal is to get to the emergency room. Do not wash your eye. Do not touch or rub it. Do not try to remove an object stuck in the eye.
• Chemical burns. Your goal is to immediately flush the eye with water for at least 15 to 20 minutes, then get to a doctor. If the chemical is caustic — a burning or corroding chemical — start flushing and continue to flush for about 30 to 60 minutes as you call an ambulance. The first seconds can be critical. If an eyewash station is available, use it instantly. If the victim is wearing a contact lens, flush over the lens with the understanding that the flushing may dislodge the lens.
• Minor blows to the eye. Your goal is to reduce pain and swelling. Apply a cold compress without putting pressure on the eye. A plastic bag with ice can rest gently on the injury.
• Severe blows to the eyeball. Your goal is to get to an emergency room. A severe blow to the eyeball can cause reduced vision, double vision, numbness around the eye, pain with eye movements, and severe pain in the eyeball, among other things. Do not apply pressure to the eye. Cover the eye lightly with a clean, cold cloth and immediately seek medical treatment.