What to do if a piece of debris gets into the eye

In case of an eye injury or a foreign object getting into it, you should contact an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. If for some reason it is not possible to do this promptly, it is important to properly provide assistance to the victim. Also in some cases, for example, if a small piece of debris gets into the eye, you can try to get rid of it yourself.

What to do if there is a piece of debris in the eye

First of all, the person providing help must thoroughly disinfect his hands. Then you need to examine the victim's eye, carefully pulling back the lower eyelid and lifting the upper one.

If there is a small debris in the eye, the victim can wash the eye himself with clean water. In some cases, this simple technique helps to wash away the debris.

You can try to remove it from the lower eyelid with cotton wool pre-soaked in clean boiled water and squeezed. Or use a clean handkerchief instead of cotton wool.

To remove the debris that has ended up under the upper eyelid, you need to turn it out. It is difficult to do this without outside help. The algorithm is as follows.

  • The victim should be asked to look down.
  • After that, the person providing help with the thumb of one hand should gently pull the upper eyelid of the victim to the eyeball and, grabbing it with two fingers of the other hand eyelash hand, turn the eyelid with the mucous membrane outward.
  • Then you can remove the lint from the eyelid with a clean wet cotton ball or a clean handkerchief.

It is strictly forbidden to remove the lint yourself and, especially , a sharp thorn or spine of a plant (a thin, pointed process on a flower or spikelet scale), if they hit the cornea. This should be done by a medical professional. You should contact him as soon as possible. The longer the debris stays on the cornea, the greater the risk of infection and other complications.

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Author: alex

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