Eye First Aid

“Knowing a little bit about eye first aid can be helpful and useful,” commented Fairfield County Ophthalmologist Leslie Doctor, M.D. of Doctor & Associates with offices in Norwalk, Westport & Wilton, Connecticut. “Most of the time when you get something in your eye it is quickly washed out by the tears you produce. However, sometimes a particle or small foreign body can scratch the cornea which is the clear outer layer on the front of the eye. A scratched cornea typically takes a couple of days to heal, can be very painful, and may need treatment from an ophthalmologist”, stated Dr. Leslie Doctor. “In general, if you get a chemical of any type in your eye or something embedded in your eye, you need immediate medical treatment-so don’t simply try to remove it on your own.”

For less serious events such as removing a loose eyelash or a dirt particle in your eye you should wash your hands before touching your eye, then look in the mirror and try to find the object in your eye. Try the following methods to remove the object:

1. Blink several times to allow your tears to wash it out. Do not rub your eye.
2. If the particle is behind your upper eyelid, pull the upper lid out and over the lower lid and roll your eye upward. This can help get the particle come off the upper lid and flush out of the eye.
3. If something is in the corner of your eye or under your lower eyelid, use a wet cotton swab or piece of clean cloth to get it put. 
4. Fill an eye cup or a small glass with warm water. Put your eye over the cup of water and open your eye to rinse your eye and flush the object out.

Chemical burns to the eye are a medical emergency. Follow these steps if you get a chemical in your eye:

1. Flush your eye with water for 15 to 30 minutes. Keep your eye open while flushing with water.
2. After you flush your eye out, call an eye doctor. If possible, bring along the container the chemical was in.

You should call an Ophthalmologist if you have severe or worsening pain in the eye and if you still have an eye irritation 30 minutes after you have flushed your eye with water. If you have any questions or concerns about your eyes Doctor & Associates is always available to see you or speak with you by calling-203-227-4113.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center. Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.