1. Definition
What is a chemical eye injury?
Chemical splashes, such as acid (for example toilet cleaner) and lye (drain cleaner), get into the eye and cause severe damage to the cornea, the outer clear membrane of the eye.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Chemicals (such as alcohol and hydrocarbons) only cause irritation, redness and burning.
2. How to fix it
What should I do?
Immediately flush eyes splashed with chemical agents with clean running water. The rush of water flushes the chemicals out of the eye so they don't injure the cornea further. Don't use an antidote like vinegar. Lay your child down and don't stop rinsing his eyes using a ladle filled with warm water, or ask him to look up under the tap and turn on the faucet at room temperature. Ask your child to keep his eyes open and don't blink during the rinse. Perform rinsing for about 5 minutes; for sour liquid, do it for 10 minutes; alkaline liquid, 20 minutes. If only one eye is splashed, close the other eye while you are rinsing the injured eye. If any particles remain in your eyes, you can wipe them off with a damp cotton swab. Immediately contact a doctor after flushing the eyes.
When should I see a doctor?
The best thing you should do next is to find out what type of chemical injures your child's eyes. You can read product labels or take the product with you to your doctor's visit.
If the substance is irritating to the eyes (with a neutral pH level) and your symptoms are not severe, or if they are not visible at all, you can monitor your child's progress at home after consulting a doctor. Make sure the irritation doesn't get worse. If this happens, immediately visit the nearest hospital emergency room.
If you have questions about certain chemicals, or do not know what chemicals injure your child's eyes, or you develop other symptoms, immediately visit the nearest hospital emergency room.
When your child complains of pain, tearing, lingering red irritation, or loss of vision, get medical help right away, including if you already know the chemical isn't actually causing severe irritation.
Eye irritation due to acid or alkaline fluid requires immediate medical attention and further investigation. Take your child to the nearest hospital as soon as first aid attempts are made. If you suspect the irritation or other injury is getting worse, or you are unable to go to seek medical help right away, call an ambulance (112). If you get splashed with a chemical while at work, find out about the substance and let your doctor know.
3. Prevention
Understand the chemicals in your area or that you use frequently. Check and check the product label and Safety Warning (MSDS) on the label for safe use. Follow the instructions for use as instructed on the label. Look for other alternatives, as hazardous chemicals can sometimes be replaced with other, safer products. Or, look for alternative forms of the chemical substance. Many liquid chemicals are also available in other versions (tablets or solid granules).
Always provide safety devices. Safety glasses and face shields should be changed every few months. Check the manufacturing manual.
Don't use contact lenses. Contact lenses can absorb chemicals and concentrate irritation on the surface of the eyeball. When working with chemicals, wear goggles and always wear goggles over it.
Learn how to get rid of chemicals safely.
