To remove a foreign body from the eye you need to assess the situation and choose the appropriate treatment. For example, if you have a large shard stuck, such as a piece of glass or metal, you need to go to the emergency room for immediate medical attention. However, if it is something smaller, like an eyelash or a speck of dust, you can wash the eye with water. Learn how to remove a foreign body from the eye so you know what to do in case it happens to you or another person.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare to Remove the Object
Step 1. Determine if you need immediate medical attention
If the foreign body is stuck in the eye, you need to go to the emergency room before trying anything. Trying to extract the item can cause worse damage. Go to the hospital right away if the object is larger than an eyelash or if you show the following symptoms:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Headache or lightheadedness
- Double vision or vision problems
- Dizziness or unconsciousness
- Skin rash or fever
- Inability to remove the object from the eye;
- Pain, redness or discomfort even after removing the foreign body.
Step 2. Wash your hands
This way, you get rid of pathogens such as dust, debris or bacteria that could contaminate your eyes. Use an antibacterial soap with warm water and wash your hands for two minutes. Do not neglect the space under the nails and between the fingers.
These precautions are imperative to make sure that bacteria, contaminants or irritants do not enter the eye, as it is very vulnerable to damage and infection
Step 3. Try to see the object
By identifying it, you can tell if it has caused any damage to the eyeball. It is important to understand where it is and to avoid putting any instrument in the eye, because other objects can also damage and contaminate it.
Step 4. Move the eyeball to find the foreign body
Move it in all directions to locate the fragment. Look left and right, up and down. It is not easy to observe the eye as you perform these movements. After moving your gaze for a while, look at your eye in the mirror to see if you can spot the object.
- Turn your head left and right, tilt it up and down while looking at yourself in the mirror.
- Use your fingers to pull the eyelid down and slowly direct your gaze upward.
- Repeat the process, but this time lift the upper lid and look down.
- If you're having trouble, ask another person to inspect your eye.
Part 2 of 3: Remove the Object
Step 1. Know what to avoid
Before attempting to remove the foreign body from your eyes, it is important to know what not to do. Remember the directions described below as you try to extract the fragment:
- Never remove a piece of metal, large or small, that is stuck in the eye;
- Never apply pressure to the eye in an attempt to move the foreign body;
- Never use tweezers, toothpicks or other hard objects to remove the object.
Step 2. Use an eye wash solution
The best way to get an irritating chemical or object out of your eyes is a sterile eye wash. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recommends rinsing the eyes with water for at least fifteen minutes. Use a sterile eye wash solution to ensure a steady stream of liquid.
Remember that these solutions do not neutralize many chemicals; they just dilute them and wash them off. This is why large amounts of liquid are needed
Step 3. Get into the shower and let the water flow into your open eyes
If you are at home and a small foreign body has entered your eye (such as a speck of dust or an eyelash), you can try to wash it off with running water from the shower.
- Do not point the stream of water directly into the eye. Instead, let it hit your forehead, run over your face and into your eyes.
- Hold the affected eye open with your fingers to allow the water to flow into it.
- Rinse it for a couple of minutes to see if the foreign object has come out.
Step 4. Respect the wash times for the various chemicals
How long you need to rinse your eyes depends on the type of irritant or chemical that has contaminated them. If you have a shard stuck in your eye, you need to wash the eye until the foreign body is out. If it is a chemical irritant, you will need to wash it for as long as necessary, depending on the type of substance.
- For mildly irritating substances, rinse the eye for five minutes;
- For moderate or strong irritants, washing should last at least 20 minutes;
- If the substance is corrosive but not penetrating, wash the eye for 20 minutes;
- If, on the other hand, it is corrosive and penetrating, such as strongly alkaline products, you must wash the eye for at least an hour.
Step 5. Go to the emergency room right away if you need to rinse your eye for more than five minutes
If after this time the foreign body is still in the eye or the cause of the accident is due to a strong irritant, immediately call another person to seek medical help and contact the poison control center.
Part 3 of 3: Wash Your Eyes in an Emergency
Step 1. Know which injuries need immediate medical attention
In some cases, such as when a contaminant or a strong irritant gets into the eye, you don't need to worry particularly about using a sterile wash. Instead, you need to make sure you rinse your eye carefully and go to the emergency room right away.
- For example, if a splash of acidic, basic, corrosive, or other irritant chemical has accidentally entered your eye, you should immediately wash it with water.
- Remember that some substances have a negative reaction to contact with water. For example, most alkali metals (the substances found in the far left column of the periodic table) react violently. In this case, you don't have to use water.
Step 2. Use an eye rinsing station, if available
Most places where such an accident is possible have special sinks for washing the eyes. If a foreign object or chemical has entered the eye, go to this station immediately and:
- Lower the lever; this is well indicated and bright in color, to be easily identified.
- Put your face near the water spouts, which will spray the water into your eyes at low pressure.
- Keep your eyes open as much as possible; use your fingers to spread them open as you rinse them.
Step 3. Rinse your eyes with running tap water
If you can't find an eyewash station right away or are in a place that doesn't have one (for example, at home), you can use tap water. This solution is not ideal for washing the eyes, as it is not as sterile as the purified one used in many laboratories. However, it is much more important to wash the chemical off than to worry about possible infections. Here's how to wash them at the sink:
- Go to the nearest sink and turn on the cold water. If it is very cold, adjust the temperature until the water is lukewarm.
- Lean over to the sink and splash the water in your open eyes. If the sink has an adjustable tap, direct it towards the eye taking care to lower the flow pressure. Keep your eyes open with your fingers.
- Wash your eyes for at least 15-20 minutes.
Step 4. Call the Poison Control Center for advice on chemicals
After washing your eyes, you should call your region's poison control center for advice. If possible, have another person contact the center while you do the eye wash; afterwards, go to the emergency room.
