A corneal abrasion happens when the surface of your cornea is scratched. The scratched cornea leads to a loss of cells from the top layer of your cornea, also known as the corneal epithelium.
It is one of the most common injuries. The scratched can cause discomfort, redness of the eyes and hypersensitivity to light.
The cornea is essential for having a good eyesight. It focuses light and that’s how it enables you to see. Getting your cornea can be very painful and can also lead to eye infection which can result in loss of eyesight.
So, it is important that you take care of your eye and protect it. If you get some minor scratches they can be healed at home by using some simple remedies.
This article will guide you and give you information on how you can deal with a corneal abrasion by using home remedies and how you can take simple precautions to avoid getting it scratched.
Table of Contents
Effective Home Remedies To Cure Corneal Abrasion (Scratched Eye)
There are several simple home remedies that you can use to heal a corneal abrasion.
1. Wear Sunglasses
After an injury of this type, the can become sensitive to the light. If you go out into the sunlight, wear sunglasses to prevent further irritation.
And indoors, fluorescent lights and overhead lights can hurt the eye too. It is better if you turn them off and opt for desk lamps or light that have a softer tone.
2. Chamomile Tea Compress
The Chamomile tea has powerful antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties that may help relieve discomfort and help you heal the corneal abrasion.
How To Use?
• Soak a chamomile tea bag in hot water for a minute or two.
• Squeeze, and then place them on the eye.
• Lean back and relax for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is known for its health benefits and it is also safe to put into the eyes. Studies have shown that coconut oil is very similar to natural tears and provides an extra layer of protection for the eye.
It also has anti-inflammatory properties and can provide from getting the eye infected.
How To Use?
• Wash your hands clean.
• Put a tiny dab of coconut oil on your pinky finger and place near the tear ducts.
• Blink a few times to allow the coconut oil to move across the eye.
4. Shut Off Technology
Staring at the screen of your computer or phone can be very stressing and hurtful to the eye. Even reading books and watching television should be avoided.
If you have a corneal abrasion you should avoid using these things until your eyes get alright.
5. Colloidal Silver
Colloidal silver is not only effective in healing but it also helps in getting rid of infected cells and protects the eyes from harmful bacteria.
6. Cold Compress
If your eye is hurting too much from the abrasion you can apply a cold compress. This will provide you with immediate relief. You can use this method two to three times a day.
7. Put On An Eye Patch
Giving rest to your eyes for the first few days is the most important thing. You need to keep the eye from exposing it to the sunlight or even the surrounding as it becomes sensitive.
To protect it and heal it faster you should wear an eye patch.
8. Cedarwood Oil
Cedarwood oil is known to alleviate pain. You can inhale the cedarwood essential oil from the bottle itself or use a diffuser. This will provide you with some relief in the eye.
9. Rose Water
Rose water contains anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties. It can protect the eye against infections and can also relieve pain.
How To Use?
• Dip a cotton swab in rose water and place them on the eyes for 15 minutes.
• Do this twice daily.
10. Cucumber Slices
Cucumber slices are very effective in relieving pain and healing. It has a cooling effect and also has anti-inflammatory properties.
How To Use?
• Refrigerate a cucumber for 10-15 minutes.
• Cut cucumber slices and place them over your eyes.
• It will work as a cold compress too.
11. Green Tea
Green tea works in similar ways to Chamomile tea. Its anti-inflammatory properties can help cure inflammation, redness, and the irritation of the eyes.
How To Use?
• Soak the green tea bags in hot water for a while.
• Squeeze them and apply on the eyes for a few minutes.
• Do this twice a day.
11. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a very good home remedy for treating corneal abrasion at home. The ethanol and ethyl present in the Aloe Vera can cure and prevent inflammation. Aloe Vera’s anti-bacterial properties also help to speed up the recovery of the abrasion.
13. Clean With Care
Keeping your eyes clean when you have an abrasion is important too as it will protect the eye from getting infected. Wash your eyes regularly.
But sometimes, washing the eyes may be painful so instead of splashing the water on your eyes use a dropper.
14. Rose Water
Rose water is commonly used to treat eye-related diseases. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties that can protect the eyes.
It can also relieve pain and speed the healing process. This is the simplest home remedy for treating corneal abrasion at home.
How To Use?
• Put 2-3 drops of rose water in your eyes.
• Or you can soak and a cotton ball and place them on your eyes for 1o-12 mins.
15. Cold Bread
Cold bread can be used as a cold compress and is another effective remedy. It can reduce inflammation, irritation, and redness of your eyes.
How To Use?
• Put a few pieces of cold bread in the refrigerator.
• Place them on the eyes for a while.
• Do this daily to relieve yourself of pain.
16. Saline Water
If anything enters your eyes don’t put your fingers in your eyes to take the foreign object out. It can just make it worse. One of the ways to take the object out and avoid getting it infected is to use saline water.
How To Use?
• Mix some salt in water and gently rinse your eyes with it.
• Blinking also helps to eliminate the object.
17. Use Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus essential oil has natural and powerful anti-inflammatory properties. it can reduce the inflammation and relieve pain.
How To Use?
• Use a steaming towel.
• Put one to two drops of eucalyptus oil in it.
• Put this over your face.
• This will give instant relief to eyes with irritation.
• You can even take some steam as it also helps and will make you feel better.
18. Water
Wash your eyes regularly. This will keep your eyes hydrated and will also wash out the foreign and harmful material from your eyes. Splash water at least 5-6 times a day. This is one of the safest home remedies.
19. Honey
Honey has anti-bacterial properties and can also cure dry eyes. It a very effective home remedy and is used widely. It has a soothing effect and can get rid of redness and irritation in the eyes. You can prepare an eyewash from honey.
How To Use?
• Boil 2 cups of water
• Add 3 tablespoons of honey to it.
• Allow it to cool.
• Once it has become slightly warm, splash your eyes with it.
20. Artificial Tears
Using artificial tears can help in keeping the eyes hydrated. The tears will also help to flush out the foreign objects.
21. Diet
A balanced diet is important if you want to keep your eyes healthy and strong. There are certain types of food specific to the eye that can help you take care of them.
For example, vitamins and minerals rich food must be taken 2-3 times a day to get rid of any deficiency. Also, this diet will help you heal your eyes faster. You should also include Omega 3 and Omega 6 in your daily diet as they are essential for your eyes.
These remedies should be used if you have a minor eye injury. Also, do not try more than one at a time. And if one of the remedies is not working you should stop using it.
In case of severe injury, avoid using the home remedies and visit your doctor.
How To Prevent Corneal Abrasions?
To avoid eye injuries such as corneal abrasion, you should take the following preventive measures:
1. Always wear protective eyewear while participating in sports that can lead to eye injuries.
2. Always wear protective eyewear in situations where objects may fly into your eyes. This might include wearing glasses or sunglasses while hiking to avoid windblown objects, as well as wearing protective eyewear while using a grinding wheel or hammering on metal. For welding, special eyewear is available and should be worn at all times.
3. Wear eye lens only if recommended by doctors. And proper care should be taken and instructions should be followed. Remember to keep them clean as that is one of the most common causes that can lead to a corneal abrasion.
4. If you think something has entered in your eyes then gently wash it water.
5. If you feel that there is something in your eyes then do not rub or scratch them. This can lead to potential eye abrasion.
6. Wear protective eyewear to block ultraviolet radiation and glares when you are in bright sunlight for long periods of time.
This is essential while skiing on water or on the beach because the reflection of sunlight off the snow, water, or light sand with direct sunlight can cause a doubling of sunlight exposure. This can also lead to corneal flash burns.
Corneal Abrasion Symptoms
It is also good to recognize what you have. Looking at the symptoms can help you. Here are the symptoms that can help you recognize if you have a corneal abrasion.
Sometimes, you may not be aware that you have suffered a corneal abrasion or how it happened, as symptoms may appear hours after the injury.
- Persistent redness of the eye
- Blurry vision
- Light sensitivity
- Pain
- Tearing
- Headache
- Nausea
- Twitching of the eye
- A feeling of some foreign object constantly there in the eyes. You can feel something when you are opening or closing your eyelids.
These are the symptoms that suggest that you might have a tear in your cornea. If so, then you can use the following treatments given in the article to treat it.
Causes Of Corneal Abrasion
There are several causes that can lead to a corneal abrasion. Anything that is small enough can enter your eye and cause an injury.
1. A corneal abrasion can occur when something hits your eye. For example, while hiking or riding bike something can get into your eyes suddenly.
A corneal injury can also occur when something gets into your eye. For example, when paint chips fall into your eye while you are scraping off old paint. This material can scratch the cornea.
2. A foreign body, such as a piece of sand or chipped wood, lodge under the inside of the upper lid and can cause scratches on the corneal surface every time you blink.
3. Even a hot cigarette ash flying into the eye may cause a corneal abrasion.
4. Certain eye infections may also cause injury to the surface of the cornea.
5. Exposure of the unprotected eye to ultraviolet light from sunlamps or welding arcs can cause changes in the corneal surface resembling corneal abrasions.
6. Undergoing operation under general anesthesia.
7. Exposure to chemicals.
8. Seasonal allergies.
9. Children are common at causing unintentional corneal abrasion. A young child accidentally poking you in the eye with her fingernail can cause the injury.
10. You may cause a corneal abrasion when you rub your eyes aggressively when they are irritated.
12. Wearing contact lenses can cause corneal abrasions if they are unclean and carry dirt particles or some other foreign particle on the inside of the lens. Also, if you wear a lens of an improper size or wear them longer than recommended you can injure the corneal surface and cause a corneal abrasion.
Other Common Causes
• Large fingernails
• Make-up brush
• Pen
• Dust, dirt or sand
• Sports activities
Risk Factors Corneal Abrasion
There are several risk factors for corneal abrasions. Some of them include outdoor activities, wearing contact lenses, using power tools without protection, sudden trauma to the face, eye operation, young children and using chemical solutions without eye protection.
• Corneal erosions can occur at the site of the abrasion if the cells affected don’t grow back tightly attached to the cornea. This can increase the pain, and it will take an additional medical intervention to ensure that the eye heals properly.
• Symptoms can persist for months without any improvement. If they worsen or vision is affected, see your ophthalmologist immediately.
• Dry eyes are common after an injury. Use natural eye drops to relieve dryness.
• Infection is a high-risk factor.
• Increasing inflammation
• Scarring of the cornea
• Corneal ulcers
• Long-term vision impairment
• Blindness
These can be a risk factor but by being aware and taking precautions, you can avoid it. This article will also guide you on how to protect your eye and what precautions you need to take to avoid the injury.
Dangers Of Corneal Abrasions
Generally, people get minor corneal abrasions and they heal quickly but sometimes it doesn’t heal or is left untreated. The deeper scratches or the ones that don’t heal can lead to corneal infections, corneal erosion, or scarring of the cornea.
And if these are not treated properly, they can result in severe complications in long-term vision problems.
If the problem is severe or the eye is not healing you should immediately consult a doctor as you can lose your eyesight.
But usually, people have to deal with minor scratches and they heal naturally. To speed up the process and give you relief from pain you can use simple home remedies. Here are the following home remedies you can use for healing your eye.
Do’s And Don’ts With Corneal Abrasions
If you do scratch your eye, here are some things you should do and some things you should not do. These tips will help you avoid further aggravating the injury and will also help you heal it faster.
Here is a list of things you should follow so that your eyes are taken care of. Follow the instructions carefully.
Do’s
1. If something enters your eye, rinse your eye with saline solution or clean water. You can use an eyecup or if you don’t have one, use a small, clean glass.
Rest the rim of the glass on the bone at the base of your eye socket, so that your eye is completely covered. The water or saline solution may flush the foreign object from your eye.
2. Blinking can help you get rid of small bits of dust or sand in your eye.
3. You can pull your upper eyelid over your lower eyelid. The lashes from your lower eyelid may be able to brush away any foreign object caught underneath your upper eyelid.
4. Rest your eyes. It is very important if you want to heal it. If you don’t rest them you will strain them.
5. Wear sunglasses always. This protects you from radiation and if your eye is hurt, it can become sensitive to light. Wearing sunglasses will lessen the symptoms while your eye heals.
6. Cut your nails and keep your hands always clean. Your children
7. Most important of all is to be aware of your surrounding as most of the injuries happen unconsciously.
Don’ts
1. Don’t rub your eye. It is not advisable even normally to do so. But if something enters your eyes you might feel like, but rubbing your eye can make the abrasion worse. Some people even rub their eyes subconsciously so you need to be careful.
2. If something enters your eye don’t try to remove it anyhow. Don’t touch your eyes with anything. Fingers, cotton swabs, and other objects won’t help you remove the foreign object and might hurt your eye more. Also, remember that the object that caused the scratch could have come out but you might still feel as if something is in your eye.
3. Don’t cover your eye with a patch unless directed by a doctor.
4. Strictly avoid wearing your contact lenses while you have an eye injury. Wearing your contact lenses will slow the healing process and could cause further complications.
5. Don’t put eye-liners or use any other makeup for your eyes as they can aggregate your eye injury.
6. Don’t put on artificial eyelashes.
When To See A Doctor For A Scratched Cornea?
If it is a small scratch, the corneal abrasion gets alright by itself. But if it is deep and your eye is constantly giving you trouble, irritating you or causing you pain then you should immediately visit the doctor.
Because this can lead to an eye infection or you can even lose eyesight. It takes 24 to 48 hrs. maximum to heal the eye abrasion so if the symptoms persist you should see your doctor.
Get your eyes checked and the doctor might even prescribe some antibiotics or ointments for the eyes. You can take those and also consult him if you can continue with home remedies to speed up the process of healing.
Bottom Line
Eye abrasion is a common injury and many people have experienced it. Generally, it is just a minor scratch and will heal on its own.
Even with the minimal treatment, you can take care of it by yourself. But if it persists and is causing too much trouble then you should visit the doctor.
The best way to deal with this is to be aware of your surrounding and take precaution wherever you feel the risk of getting eye injury is higher.
Also, you can use these home remedies to help you heal your eyes quickly. They are effective and do not have side effects and are easily available at home.
