First aid in eye injuries & bull; hello healthy

Every human being must be very dependent on the eye to see the world. However, it does not rule out that various external disorders have the potential to damage the eye and result in trauma or injury. If not treated properly, trauma to the eye has the risk of causing vision problems, even loss of vision.

What is eye trauma?

Eye trauma or eye injury is damage to tissue in parts of the eye, such as the eyelids, nerves, or orbital cavity. Damage occurs when a sharp, blunt, or chemical object hits the eye.

Eye trauma is generally caused by the entry of a particle into the eye, such as dust, wood chips, glass, metal, concrete, or other hard substances. Apart from that, chemical particles, vapors and radiant energy can also cause eye injury.

This condition must be treated with medical action as soon as possible so that the function and health of the eye is not threatened. If the situation is very urgent, first aid is also important to prevent the injury from getting worse.

What are the causes of eye trauma?

Trauma or eye injury can be caused by a variety of conditions, ranging from minor to fatal. The causes themselves can be divided into 2, namely mechanical and non-mechanical trauma.

In the case of mechanical trauma, the injury occurs due to blunt objects, incisions, foreign objects in the eyeball, penetration (the object slashed or pierced the eye), and damage to the eyeball wall. Meanwhile, non-mechanical trauma can be caused by exposure to chemicals, radiation, or heat.

The following are some of the most common conditions resulting in eye injuries:

1. Blunt force blow

When the eye is hit by a blunt object at high speed, such as a ball, stone, or even a hit by someone, it has the potential to damage the eyes, eyelids, and muscles and bones around the eye.

If the trauma is mild, your eyelids will likely become swollen and turn blue. In more severe cases, bleeding or bone damage can occur around and in the eye.

2. Sharp incision

Sharp objects that hit the eye, such as sticks, knives, and even fingernails, can injure the cornea and cause trauma.

Minor cuts or incisions usually heal on their own. However, if a sharp object is cut too deep, it risks disturbing vision.

3. Foreign objects enter the eye

Grains of sand, wood chips, and broken glass are some examples of foreign objects that can enter the eye. These objects can cause injury and trauma to the eye.

When you experience this condition, you may experience discomfort and watery eyes. You will also feel a sensation like something is stuck in your eye.

4. Chemical exposure

Actually, when you wash your hair and your eyes put in the shampoo or soap, it means your eyes have been exposed to chemicals. However, the condition is mild and causes only a slight stinging feeling in the eye.

There are certain types of chemicals that can cause serious burns and eye trauma. Some of them are alkalis, acids, and combustion fumes. When the eyes are exposed to these substances, the eyes will experience severe irritation symptoms that can even lead to blindness.

5. Radiation

The radiation most commonly at risk of causing eye injury is ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. This usually occurs after you have been out in the sun for too long without protection, such as not wearing sunglasses.

In the long term, exposure to UV rays increases your risk of developing cataracts or macular degeneration in old age.

How to deal with and treat eye trauma

Some eye injury conditions can be treated at home with simple methods. Here are some tips you can try:

Overcoming eye trauma due to blunt objects

For cases of blue eyes and swelling due to blunt force, you can do the following methods, as reported by the Mayo Clinic:

• Apply cold water to the eye as soon as possible. Gently press a cloth or towel dampened in cold water. However, make sure you only apply pressure to the area around your eyes and avoid putting direct pressure on your eyeballs.
• After the swelling has improved within a few days, apply warm water to the eye several times a day.

If there is bleeding in the sclera (white part of the eye) or iris (the colored part of the eye), do not delay the time to see an ophthalmologist.

In addition, immediately consult a doctor if symptoms appear such as blurred or shadowed vision, severe eye pain, bruising in both eyes, and bleeding from the nose.

Overcoming trauma due to foreign objects entering the eye

The following are things that should be done to pick up particles that enter the eye, but do not stick or pierce the eye:

• Blink a few times until the tears can bring out the foreign object that entered the eye.
• Pull your upper eyelid down, and bring it closer to your lower lid. Thus, the lashes can clean and remove foreign objects from the eye.
• Use clean water or water saline to rinse your eyes.

If the foreign object is still present or stuck in the eye, please contact the doctor immediately. A foreign object that gets stuck in the eye can cause tissue changes and develop a scar.

Overcoming trauma due to cuts or incisions in the eye

If the eye is injured due to an incision by a sharp object or a foreign object that enters the eye, this condition is classified as serious and has the potential to cause harm to the eye. Therefore, you should seek medical help immediately.

The following are the first aid steps you need to take while waiting for medical help to arrive:

• Put the protection over the injured eye, but make sure it doesn't stick directly to the eyeball. You can use plastic or paper cups that are glued together with tape.
• Avoid rinsing eyes with water.
• Avoid removing or picking up objects that have been pierced or caught in the eye.
• Avoid pressing or rubbing your eyes.
• Avoid taking medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or NSAID drugs. These drugs run the risk of increasing bleeding in the eye.

Overcoming trauma due to exposure to chemicals

Eye exposure to chemicals is also considered a serious case, especially if you have severe burns to the eye. For this condition, you should also seek medical help immediately.

What you can do as first aid is to rinse the eyes with plenty of water.

Things not to do with eye injuries

The following are some things to avoid when an eye injury occurs:

• Never touch your eyes to check for foreign objects in them until you wash your hands first. Otherwise, debris may get into the eye and cause serious injury.
• Never act harshly, this may worsen the eyeball injury.
• Never remove foreign objects with toothpicks, matchsticks, knives, magnets, or other objects.
• Do not pull out objects that are stuck in the eye. Remember to take the patient to the doctor if a foreign object is stuck in the eye.

The best advice is to go to a hospital or other health service. This is important so that you get treatment according to the condition of your eye trauma.

Eye injury recovery process

After you get medical help, you may need to go on an outpatient basis. The doctor will install patch or an eye patch to prevent the eye injury from getting worse.

In some cases of severe eye trauma, you may need to be given special antibiotics to prevent inflammation in the eyeball or endophthalmitis.

The recovery process required after an eye injury will vary from case to case. This will depend on the type of injury, the size of the eye area affected, and how quickly the patient can get medical help.

Consult your questions or complaints directly to the ophthalmologist to prevent the condition from getting worse as well as to speed up recovery. Also ask the doctor what taboos must be followed during the healing period after an eye injury.