When it comes to sight, the cornea does most of the work. It is a clear dome-like feature in the front of the eye that enables us to see. Because of its location, the cornea is subject to a lot of dangers. It could be scratched or injured by a sharp object, leading to sharp pain and intense pain afterward. Corneal abrasion is the term used to describe an injury sustained in the cornea as a result of a scratch, or a falling branch among other objects that can directly harm the cornea area.
Corneal abrasion – causes
For most people, an injury to the eye is pretty straight forward. The eye may get damaged when one is involved in a fight or is accidentally scratched by a sharp object. While in some mild cases, the pain may subside and ultimately go away after a few hours, there are times when the pain is still experienced days after an incident. In such cases, it is advisable to seek medical help since it may be a case of corneal abrasion.
People who have undergone cataract surgery may find it particularly uncomfortable to stay with a lens, especially when it is faulty or not 100 percent clear. Some go to the lengths of attempting to remove the lens themselves. This is a sure way of scratching the cornea.
Constantly scratching the eye is may also lead to a minor scratch without one knowing it. If the eye is experiencing an irritating sensation and one happens to directly rub the cornea with the finger, it could lead to corneal abrasion.
Young parents who have infants with curious fingers may also fall victim to corneal abrasion as the babies are naturally prone to hover their fingers around their parents’ eye area. Corneal abrasion cases depend on the level of intensity of the contact with the cornea. In some mild cases, it may only require small treatment. If the symptoms are too persistent, an eye specialist should be consulted sooner or later to perform a procedure that will stop the aggravation of the injury.
Symptoms of a corneal abrasion
Some eye injuries may just be a case of a slight irritation to what the cornea is used to. There are, however, some symptoms which, if experienced, could mean something a little more serious for instance, developing blurry vision soon after an injury to the eye. This sensation may also be felt days after the injury. One can also experience persistent eye pain that does not seem to subside hours after an injury incident. Some could experience a constant feeling that there is something in the eye, despite there being none. Another common symptom is the sudden sensitivity of the eye toward a bright light.
Corneal Abrasion – Pictures
Treatment
The most important thing to note once you have been diagnosed with corneal abrasion is that the rubbing of the affected eye should be stopped immediately. Furthermore, only an eye specialist who has made an accurate diagnosis of the problem can be in a position to recommend and offer treatment to the affected eye. However small the problem may seem, there may be a bigger problem waiting to happen. Taking matters into your hands is, therefore, unadvisable.
If the symptoms of corneal abrasion aren’t too severe, after a few hours, it could be a mild case, which will eventually die down after a few days. The doctor will, however, recommend eye drops for lubrication and also to minimize the risk of eye infection.
Larger abrasions will, however, take a longer time to heal. This is because they are initially subjected to an antibiotic ointment that tends to stay in the eye for a longer period. Corneal abrasions can also be treated using bandage contact lenses. Similar to their name, these lenses are used with prescription eye drops to minimize pain while also speeding up recovery.
The severity of the abrasion plays a crucial factor in the type of treatment as there are some cases that may require regular follow-ups from the doctor. This can be as soon as the first 24 hours after the initial treatment.
Corneal Abrasion – Healing time
The next step after treatment is recovery. The amount of time it will take for your cornea to heal completely will depend on some lifestyle factors. If the doctor’s orders are followed to the latter, the eye should be able to be fully functional again within a few weeks. There some practices to watch out for in the process of recovery. Contact lenses, for one thing, should be avoided because they may cause more damage. The urge to rub the eye when there is a slight irritation should also be fought. Finally, to protect the healing eye from the intense light of the sun, one could wear tinted protective sunglasses.
Most people can fully recover from a corneal abrasion. There are however rare cases in which the corneal abrasion leads to other infections and ailments of the eye. All the same, prevention is better than cure. As an individual, it is upon you to seek urgent medical help when you experience a scratched eye.
