Speaking of freedoms, in America we have the freedom to do not-so-smart things to our eyes. So today we shall talk about... EYE INJURIES and what to do if you get something weird in your eye.
So let's talk first about what happens if you get metal in your eye. This is what you may think if you are grinding metal and an opossum stole your safety glasses and the metal got in your eye:
"Where did that crazy opossum come from," and "oh, it will come out by itself, I don't need to go to the eye doctor."
Don't listen to that inner voice, because metal that is stuck on the cornea can rust fairly quickly and pose danger to your ocular health. It also doesn't feel very good. When a patient comes in with metal in their eye, I check their vision and then look to see where the metal is located. If the metal is not very deeply embedded, I try to wash it out with saline first. If the metal is too deep, then we put drops in to numb the eye, and then remove the metal with some cool tools. If the metal has rusted, we may have to use a special drill to get the rust out. This is what metal embedded in the cornea looks like:
After the metal is removed, we send you home with antibiotic drops and see you back the next day to make sure you are healing properly. I've had a few patients who have had metal in their eye multiple times, but they still refuse to wear safety glasses when drilling. Please don't be that guy. Even our President wears safety glasses when needed, see?
So that's about it on the metal issue... I also wanted to talk about what to do if you get a weird liquid in your eye. Let's say you were busy cleaning your home, and you got some of the cleaner in your eye. (See, cleaning is dangerous. I hate cleaning.) What should you do? IRRIGATE! That means flush the eye out with water, and not just for 30 seconds. My hubby worked at the FL Poison Center, and they recommend the same treatment: Get in the shower and flush the eye out for 15 minutes. Yes, that's a long time. But we want to make sure all of the chemical gets out. After the eye is flushed, come over to your friendly eye doctor so we can make sure there are no chemical burns or abrasions. We can put this cool dye in your eye to look for those things. We may give you antibiotic drops if you are at risk for infection.
So that's about it on the metal issue... I also wanted to talk about what to do if you get a weird liquid in your eye. Let's say you were busy cleaning your home, and you got some of the cleaner in your eye. (See, cleaning is dangerous. I hate cleaning.) What should you do? IRRIGATE! That means flush the eye out with water, and not just for 30 seconds. My hubby worked at the FL Poison Center, and they recommend the same treatment: Get in the shower and flush the eye out for 15 minutes. Yes, that's a long time. But we want to make sure all of the chemical gets out. After the eye is flushed, come over to your friendly eye doctor so we can make sure there are no chemical burns or abrasions. We can put this cool dye in your eye to look for those things. We may give you antibiotic drops if you are at risk for infection.
The moral of this post is that injuries are no fun, so try to avoid them if possible. Be aware of your surroundings, and be careful of any chemicals in the vicinity that could cause harm to your eye. PLEASE wear safety glasses if you are doing something dangerous, like grinding metal. Or playing raquetball. We like healthy eyes without injuries, so be careful! Have a safe and wonderful summer!!!
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