Eye washes are not meant to be used only in high-risk environments, such as chemistry labs. In every home there are many household cleaning products and often even small children: an explosive combination! For this reason it is good practice to have a quick method available to wash the eyes of potentially dangerous products. The eyes can benefit from a wash even in normal situations, to relieve fatigue and increase hydration and blood circulation. Ophthalmologists recommend washing in other circumstances as well, and knowing how to proceed allows you to always be prepared.
Steps
Method 1 of 6: Prepare the Correct Washing Method
Step 1. Determine if you need to go to the emergency room
Some contaminants can cause chemical burns or other complications. Check the product packaging label to make sure eye wash is the correct procedure. You can always call the regional poison control center to find out what to do if a particular dangerous element gets into your eyes.
- Go to the hospital immediately if you experience symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, headache or dizziness, double or blurred vision, dizziness or loss of consciousness, fever or skin rash.
- If eye wash is ineffective for your specific situation, you should call the poison control center and go to the emergency room right away. You should also ask another person to accompany you to make sure you get all the necessary care.
Step 2. Determine how long you need to wash your eyes
The duration of the wash depends on the type of contaminant you need to remove and can vary widely. Here are some guidelines:
- Five minutes for mild chemicals like hand soap or shampoo.
- Twenty minutes or more for mild or highly irritating products, including chili.
- Twenty minutes for non-penetrating corrosive products, such as battery acid.
- At least sixty minutes for penetrating corrosive elements including alkaline household cleaners (sink drain cleaners, bleach and ammonia).
Step 3. Always have eye wash solution at home
The commercial ones are sterile and with a balanced pH of 7.0. This means that it is always better to use a specific product rather than simple water.
Step 4. Use sterilized water
If you don't have a specific solution available, then try sterilized water, as tap water can contain dangerous elements that further irritate the eyes.
- You can use bottled water.
- Milk provides relief from spicy foods like chili. However, it is always best to rely on a sterile solution for rinsing. Make sure the milk is not spoiled, as this could introduce bacteria into the eyes.
Step 5. Make sure the solution is at the correct temperature
This is especially important when taking bottled water or a milk solution - don't get liquids straight from the fridge! Regardless of what you decide to use, the temperature of the wash mixture should be between 15 ° C and 38 ° C.
Step 6. Choose a washing method
Your goal is to get the water or solution into the eye safely and without risk of contamination. The tools most often used for this procedure are a bowl, a small glass or a dropper. Regardless of what you have on hand, remember to wash items thoroughly with soap and water and wait for them to dry before pouring the solution or water into them.
- The bowl is the best tool if you need to get rid of a foreign body, a contaminant or just wash your tired eyes. It should be large enough to fit your face into.
- You can also use a shot glass that adheres perfectly to the contours of the orbit, for example the shot type. However, this method is more suitable for removing contaminants or for rinsing tired eyes, but not for eliminating a small foreign body.
- For all those more serious occasions than eye dryness or fatigue, do not use a dropper.
Step 7. Don't hesitate to rinse off chemicals
It can sometimes happen that you need to act quickly, especially if you are exposed to harmful chemicals. Getting rid of chemical residues as soon as possible is more important than finding a sterile solution, making sure it's at the right temperature, and so on. If you have been exposed to corrosive materials, in particular, going to the sink immediately and starting to rinse is fine.
The longer these substances remain on the surface of the eye, the more damage they are able to cause. The goal is to remove them as quickly as you can
Method 2 of 6: Wash the Eyes with a Bowl
Step 1. Get a basin
This is the main method used to wash eyes exposed to contaminants or to extract a small particle. It is also perfect for relieving tired eyes. The perfectly clean bowl should be large enough to hold your face.
Step 2. Fill the container with the wash solution
Whether you are using a special solution or plain water, remember that the liquid must be at a temperature between 15 ° C and 38 ° C. Do not fill the bowl to the brim, or the solution will overflow when you put your face in it.
Step 3. Dip your face in the liquid
Take a deep inhalation and insert your entire face into the bowl, so that the solution perfectly covers the eyes. Do not tilt your head forward, otherwise the water will enter the nose.
Step 4. Open and roll your eyes
Make sure the entire surface of your eyes comes into contact with water. Keep a circular motion to allow the solution to carefully rinse the entire area, so as to eliminate foreign bodies or contaminants.
Step 5. Lift your face and blink
Close and open your eyes a few times to make sure the solution gets them completely wet.
Step 6. Repeat the procedure as needed
If you have dry or tired eyes, you can limit yourself to soaking your face once or twice until you feel relief. To eliminate a chemical agent, then refer to the guidelines described in the first section of the article, to know the duration of the wash.
Step 7. Dry your face with a clean cloth, but don't rub your eyes
Simply blot the area with your lids closed making sure you use a clean, dry area of the towel.
Method 3 of 6: Wash the Eyes with a Glass
Step 1. Do not use this method if you have a foreign body in the eye
This is the best technique for relieving tired eyes. If you need to wash your eyes from a contaminant, then the best solution is the one described in the previous section of the article. Ask your eye doctor for advice before washing your eyes with a glass for a reason other than tired eyes.
Step 2. Fill a small clean glass with a specific solution
You need to get a container that has a similar diameter to your orbit. A well-cleaned shot glass is a perfect example.
Commercial washing solution or sterile water must have a temperature between 15 and 38 ° C
Step 3. Place the glass snugly against the eye
Tilt your head forward and make the edge of the glass adhere to the circumference of the orbit.
Step 4. Tilt your head back
Without removing the glass from the eye, tilt your head back so that the bottom of the container faces the ceiling and the wash solution comes into direct contact with the eyeball.
Know that some of the solution will seep from the edges. Try to stay over a sink as you wash to prevent the solution from running down your face and clothing. If desired, wrap a towel around your neck to stay dry
Step 5. Move your eye and blink
Try to look around you by making circular motions and blinking several times; in this way you help the solution to wash every corner of the eye, to hydrate it completely or to eliminate the contaminant.
Step 6. If necessary, repeat the procedure
Lower your face and remove the glass without spilling the liquid on yourself. A single wash should be enough to hydrate dry and tired eyes; however, if you need to eliminate an external agent, you will have to repeat the process to thoroughly rinse the eyeball.
Step 7. Dry your face with a clean cloth but don't rub your eyes
Simply blot the area with your lids closed making sure you use a clean, dry area of the towel.
Method 4 of 6: Wash the Eyes with a Dropper
Step 1. Do not use this method to extract a foreign body
The dropper is useful for rinsing tired eyes or for intervening on very young children who could not cooperate with the other methods. If your eye has come into contact with a contaminant, rely on the bowl technique.
Step 2. Fill a dropper with the solution
Dip the pipette tip into the solution or water, press and release the rubber bulb to suck up the liquid.
If you are sure of its sterility, you can also use a plastic syringe without a needle
Step 3. Drop a few drops of solution into the eye
Tilt your head back and raise the dropper above the eye to be washed. Gently squeeze the pipette bulb to drop the liquid.
Remember that the tip of the pipette must not touch the eyelashes or the eye
Step 4. Blink several times
Try to distribute an even layer of the solution over the entire ocular surface before it accumulates in a corner and falls along the cheek.
Step 5. If necessary, repeat the procedure
A few drops are enough to refresh tired and dry eyes. However, if you have to wash the eye from chemicals, it will take several sessions.
Step 6. Test with a cloth
A rather effective alternative method with young children is to dip a clean cloth in the solution before dabbing it on the closed eyelids. Even if you apply only light pressure, the action will cause some liquid to fall on the eyelids and lashes when the baby opens his eyes to blink.
Repeat as many times as you deem necessary, but never dip the same piece of cloth in the solution twice, to ensure the sterility of the procedure. Always use a different section of fabric or change cloth
Method 5 of 6: Prepare the Wash Solution
Step 1. Boil some water
Remember that professional washing solutions, available in pharmacies, are always preferable to home solutions. No matter how precise and thorough you may be, there is always a risk of accidentally irritating your eyes and introducing bacteria. However, if you understand the risks and still want to prepare the rinse liquid, there are some procedures you should follow to be reasonably certain that the product is not harmful. Start by boiling a pot of water to kill bacteria and other organisms that could contaminate your eyes. Let the water boil briskly for at least a minute and wait for it to cool before using it.
- If possible, it would be better to use sterile, purified water instead of tap water, as tap water contains far more bacteria and additives.
- If you don't want to make a washing solution, you can always use tap water. However, remember that it may create more irritation and is more likely to contain bacteria and other contaminants.
Step 2. Add some salt
For a homemade solution, add 5g of ordinary table salt to every 240ml of water while it is still boiling. If the solution has a salinity (salt concentration) similar to that of tears, the eyes are less likely to experience shock. Although the salinity of tears changes depending on whether they are generated by emotions (pain, sadness, and so on) or to ensure normal lubrication, it is usually less than 1%.
Step 3. Stir the water to dissolve the salt
Make sure that all the granules are well dissolved; since the water is boiling and the amount of salt is relatively small in proportion to the volume of liquid, this will not take long. Keep stirring until there are no more solid specks visible at the bottom of the pot.
Step 4. Wait for the saline solution to cool
Never use it to wash your eyes while it is still hot. You could cause severe damage, including blindness, by burning the eye. Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool until it reaches room temperature. It is worth transferring the liquid to another container that has been previously washed with soap and water and rinsed well. When the saline solution is at room temperature (or below) you can use it.
- Cover the solution as it cools to make sure it doesn't get contaminated.
- The cold solution refreshes the eyes; however, check that its temperature is not below 15 ° C. The cold could cause pain and slight damage to the eyes.
- Even if you have been very careful to ensure the hygiene of the solution, throw it away after a day or two. Bacteria can contaminate it again after boiling.
Method 6 of 6: Rinse the Eyes in Case of an Emergency
Step 1. Read up on incidents that need immediate cleaning
In some cases, for example, when your eye comes into contact with dangerous contaminants or irritants, you don't need to worry about the flushing solution being sterile. The most important thing, in this circumstance, is to rinse your eyes thoroughly and quickly and go to the emergency room. If your eyes get an accidental splash of acid, alkaline (basic) or another type of irritant, stop immediately what you were doing and rinse with water.
Step 2. Call your local poison control center
The telephone number varies from region to region, but the operator will be able to give you all the appropriate advice to proceed with the washing or, if necessary, will direct you to the emergency room, depending on the chemical element you came into contact with.
- For example, some chemicals (such as most alkali metals) react violently with water. The poison control center will be able to instruct you on the procedure to follow.
- If the operator advises you to wash but call an ambulance at the same time, then have someone nearby call 911 while you concentrate on rinsing. The chances of losing your sight or suffering severe damage decrease proportionally with the speed with which you go to the hospital.
Step 3. Use an emergency eye wash station
In places where there is a real risk of splashing of dangerous material, there is usually a special emergency station dedicated to washing the eyes. Quickly approach one of these devices, press the lever (which is clearly identified in bright colors and is easy to access) and face the sprayers which will emit a low pressure stream of water. Try to keep your eyes as open as possible and, if necessary, use your fingers to widen the eyelids.
Step 4. Wash for 15 minutes
Water does not neutralize the chemical but dilutes it and washes it from the eye. For this reason, large quantities of water are required. Emergency stations are usually calibrated to emit at least 1.5 liters of water per minute and you should be flushed for no less than 15 minutes.
Step 5. If there is no emergency eye wash station, use tap water
Get to the nearest sink as quickly as possible. Tap water is not the ideal solution, because it is neither sterile nor purified like that used in laboratories; however, it is much more important to dilute and wash away the contaminant than to worry about infections. Splash plenty of water in your open eyes and don't stop for at least 15-20 minutes.
If the sink has an adjustable tap, try to point it directly into the eye, taking care to reduce the pressure of the water which must be lukewarm. Keep your eyelids open with your fingers
Step 6. Go to the emergency room
If the poison control center has advised you to go to the hospital, do so immediately after washing your eye and get treatment from an ophthalmologist.
Advice
- Remember to change the solution before washing the second eye, so that no bacteria exchange takes place.
- At the pharmacy, you can find eye wash kits that contain a small glass with the diameter of an eye and a sterile solution.
Warnings
- Do not overdo the salt, too much salt causes the cells to break down, resulting in burning or pain.
- Do not use water that is too hot or too cold.
- When handling any type of chemical product, follow the safety rules, not forgetting safety glasses. The security protocol does not guarantee in absolute terms that you will not harm yourself, but it greatly reduces the risk.
