First Aid for Children’s Eye Injuries

Childhood is a time for endless exploration, which is why children love to be active. Regular active play and participating in sports are beneficial for children. Nevertheless, these activities also pose a risk for accidents and injuries. As parents, the best thing that you can do is to make sure someone is always watching over your children when they engage in sports or active play, and to be prepared with first aid.

Eye injuries are among the most common mishaps among children. They range from minor cases, like getting soap or shampoo in the eye, to more serious ones, which can potentially cause blindness or other eye conditions.

As a rule of thumb, it’s best to err on the side of caution and seek medical help immediately in the event of an eye injury. In the meantime, it helps to have some background on first aid.

Symptoms

Some signs and symptoms of an eye injury that you should look out for include:

• Watering

• Redness around or in the eye

• Swelling of the eyelid

• Discoloration around the eye

• Stinging or burning

• Sensitivity to light

• Blurred vision

If your child shows or complains about any of these symptoms, call an eye specialist right away.

What to Do

There are varying ways to treat eye injuries, depending on the nature of the injury. Below are some of the most common types of eye injuries and how to properly apply first aid to each of them.

Eye Irritations

Common eye irritations may be caused by dust, sand, dirt or other foreign bodies stuck on the surface of the eye. Here’s what to do:

• Wash your hands thoroughly before touching the eyelid and examining or flushing the eye.

• Flushing is the only safe way to remove any foreign body. Other methods may scratch the surface of the eye, particularly the cornea.

• Do not touch, rub or press the eye, and prevent your child from touching their eye as well. For babies, you can swaddle them in the meantime so that they can’t reach for their eye.

• Use lukewarm water (make sure not to heat it) and gently pour a steady stream from a faucet or pitcher over the irritated eye.

• You can also tilt your child’s head over a basin or sink with the irritated eye down. Gently pull down the lower lid, and encourage your child to open their eyes as wide as they can. For infants or small children, it might help to have another person hold the child’s eyes open while you flush.

• Flush for up to 15 minutes. Check the eye every five minutes to see if the foreign body has been removed.

• If irritation continues after flushing or a foreign body remains, the eye should be checked by a doctor.

Embedded Foreign Particles

An embedded foreign particle is an object that penetrates or enters the globe of the eye. This could be a piece of glass or metal sticking out of the eye. Here’s what you should do in this case:

• Bring the child to the emergency room or call for emergency medical help.

• In the meantime, cover the affected eye with a small cup, which you can tape into place. Make sure to keep all pressure off the eye.

• Calm your child and keep them as comfortable as possible until a medical professional attends to them.

Chemical Exposure

Many chemicals found inside your home can damage an eye. That is why if you have strong cleaning solutions or other such chemicals, they should always be kept out of your child’s reach. Here are a few things that you can do in the event your child’s eye is exposed to a chemical:

• Flush the eye immediately with lukewarm water. Do this for 15 to 30 minutes. If both eyes are affected, it’s best to flush them in the shower.

• Check the product’s container for an emergency number, which you can call for instructions.

• Call for emergency help.

Blunt Injuries and Black Eyes

A black eye is usually a minor injury. But in certain cases, the bruising could be a result of a significant eye injury or head trauma. It’s best to visit an eye clinic so that a professional could examine the eye and rule out any serious injury. Make sure to follow these tips as well to relieve pain:

• Apply cold compress intermittently — 5 to 10 minutes on, then 10 to 15 minutes off. If you are using ice, cover it with a towel or sock to protect the delicate skin on the eyelid.

• Use cold compresses for the first 24 to 48 hours. Then, switch to warm compresses intermittently. This technique will help the body absorb the leakage of blood and reduce discoloration.

• Prop your child’s head with an extra pillow at night. Encourage them to sleep on the uninjured side of their face to prevent more swelling.

• Call your doctor so that they can thoroughly evaluate the injury and rule out damage to the eye. Make sure to call ASAP if your child experiences drainage from the eye, visible bleeding on the white part of the eye, increased redness, lasting eye pain, changes in vision or visible abnormality of the eyeball

When to Seek Medical Care

To determine whether your child needs medical care, here are some general things to consider:

• If they have been struck in the eye with a ball or other hard object

• Eye discomfort

• A swollen, red or painful area around the eye or eyelid

• A red or irritated eye

• Sensitivity to light

When to Get Emergency Care

Call for emergency help if your child exhibits the following symptoms:

• Exposure to chemicals

• Severe eye pain

• Blood in the eye

• Trouble seeing

• Foreign object embedded in the eye

• Nausea or vomiting after an eye injury

Prevention

If your kids engage in sports, it’s best to take precautionary measures and have them wear protective goggles or unbreakable glasses. You can ask your eye doctor about the most suitable type of protective eyewear for your child’s activities. Also, make sure that any chemicals or hazardous materials are kept out of your child’s reach.

Lastly, it helps a lot to bring your child to an eye doctor for regular checkups. Apart from eye injuries, you should also pay close attention to any eye conditions that may develop. Prevention and proper eye care are key to keeping your child’s eyes healthy and safe.

Downtown Eyes is a local practice that provides quality eye care services to children and adults. Our expertise covers a range of optical care services. We can perform a contact eye exam as well as LASIK surgery co-management and treatment of eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease. Call us at (612) 333-EYES (3937) or fill out our contact form to request an appointment.