Nausea or vomiting Headaches or lightheadedness Double vision or impaired vision Dizziness or loss of consciousness Rashes or fever Inability to remove the object from your eye Pain, redness, or discomfort continues after the item has been removed from the eye
These precautions should be taken to ensure that bacteria, other contaminants, or irritants are not introduced into the eyes, which are quite vulnerable to damage and infection. [4] X Research source
Turn your head left and right and tip it up and down to move your eye while looking at it in a mirror. Use your fingers to pull your own eyelid down and then look up slowly. Repeat the process, except this time pulling your eyelid up and looking down. [6] X Research source If it is difficult for you to see anything, then have someone else do the inspection for you.
Do not rub your eye if you think there’s something in it, or you could scratch the surface of your eye. [8] X Expert Source Kerry Assil, MDBoard Certified Ophthalmologist Expert Interview. 4 September 2020. Never remove any piece of metal, large or small, that has lodged itself in the eye. Never put any pressure on the eye itself in an effort to dislodge the object. Never use tweezers, toothpicks, or other hard items to remove an object from your eye. [9] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
Keep in mind that eye wash solution does not neutralize many chemicals. It just dilutes them and washes them away. For this reason, you will need a large quantity of eye wash solution. Tap water could contain organisms or contaminants that could cause an infection, especially if the foreign object scratched your eye. [12] X Expert Source Kerry Assil, MDBoard Certified Ophthalmologist Expert Interview. 4 September 2020. However, if that’s all you have available, it’s ok to use it if you need to.
Do not aim the water right at your eye. Instead, allow the water to hit your forehead and run down your face over your eyes. Hold the affected eye open with your fingers to allow water to run over it. Allow the water to run over your eye for a couple of minutes to see if it removes the foreign object from your eye. [13] X Research source
For mildly irritating chemicals, rinse for five minutes. For moderate-to-severe irritants, rinse for at least 20 minutes. For non-penetrating corrosives such as acids, rinse for 20 minutes. For penetrating corrosives such as alkalis, rinse for at least 60 minutes. [15] X Research source
For example, if you accidentally splash your eyes with a chemical that is an acid, an alkaline (base), a corrosive, or some other kind of irritant, then stop what you’re doing and flush your eyes with water right away. Keep in mind that some chemicals react adversely with water. For example, most of the alkali metals (the furthest-left column in the periodic table) react violently with water. Don’t flush these chemicals with water.
Depress the lever. The lever should be brightly marked and easy to find. Place your face in front of the water spouts. These spouts will spray water in your eyes at a low pressure. Keep your eyes as wide-open as possible. Use your fingers to keep your eyes open as you rinse them.
Go to the nearest sink and turn the cold water on. If it is very cold, then you may want to adjust it until the temperature is lukewarm. Then, lean over the sink and splash water into your open eyes. If your sink has an adjustable faucet, point it directly into your eye at a low pressure and hold your eyes open with your fingers. Rinse your eyes for at least 15 to 20 minutes. [18] X Research source Rinsing your eye will dilute the chemicals, which can help prevent them from damaging your eye further. [19] X Expert Source Kerry Assil, MDBoard Certified Ophthalmologist Expert Interview. 4 September 2020.
If you’ve introduced a dangerous chemical into your eyes, you need to get medical attention as soon as possible, even if you’ve already rinsed your eyes.
