A corneal abrasion is a medical term for a scratch on the cornea, the clear protective layer that covers the front of your eye. It’s one of the most common eye injuries. There are many ways the cornea can become damaged. If you think you’ve suffered a scratched eye or other eye injury, it’s important to seek treatment to avoid infection and vision loss.
Common Causes of Corneal Abrasions
Causes of a corneal abrasion include:
- Eye trauma (such as getting poked in the eye)
- Getting foreign material — sand, dust, sawdust, etc. — in your eye
- Rubbing your eye too roughly
- Wearing poorly fitting or dirty contact lenses
- Certain types of eye infections
- Chemical exposure
Symptoms of a Corneal Abrasion
Depending on the cause of the injury, it may take a while for you to begin to experience symptoms.
Symptoms of a scratched cornea can include:
- A feeling like you have sand or grit in your eye
- Experience pain when you open or close your eye
- Redness
- Tearing
- Headaches
- Blurred vision in the affected eye
- The eye may be sensitive to light
First Aid For a Scratched Cornea
If you feel like you have something in your eye, don’t rub it. That’s usually how a cornea gets scratched. Instead of rubbing your eye, do this:
- Gently rinse your eye out with clean water or sterile saline solution eye drops
- Blink your eyes several times
- Pull your upper eyelid over your lower eyelid
Don’t put a patch over the affected eye; this may cause it to become overly dry. If something has adhered itself to your cornea, don’t try to pull it off; let a doctor remove it. Never attempt to remove a foreign object on your eye using a cotton swab or tweezers.
Seek Immediate Treatment for a Scratched Eye
If you believe you have a scratched cornea, it’s important to see your eye doctor immediately. Most minor corneal abrasions resolve themselves after a few days. However, deeper scratches may get infected, leave a scar, or develop other problems. Antibiotic eye drops or ointment are commonly prescribed to prevent your eye from becoming infected.
Berkeley Eye Center Treats Corneal Abrasions and Other Eye Injuries
The Houston eye doctors at Berkeley Eye Center are uniquely qualified to treat a scratched cornea and other types of eye trauma or medical condition. Our state-of-the-art oculoplastics clinic treats and repair the damage caused by corneal abrasions and other trauma to the eyes, eye sockets, and surrounding structures.
You can schedule an appointment at Berkeley Eye Center online, or give us a call at 713-526-1600. We have locations all over the Houston area — Katy, Pearland, The Woodlands, Champions, Greenway Plaza, Bay City, Tomball, Memorial City, Sugar Land, to name a few — so there’s bound to be a Berkeley Eye Center near you. We accept most forms of eye insurance and offer a wide range of payment options, and we always welcome new patients.