Corneal Abrasion Treatment

In our day-to-day life, we unknowingly become a victim of eye injuries, corneal abrasion being one such common injury. Basically, "corneal abrasion" is a term that is used when the cornea (an important part of the eye) gets injured due to exposure to a foreign object such as dust and dirt, sand, metal particles and wood shavings. Even contact with a fingernail can cause corneal abrasion. A minor injury manifests in the form of scratch on the cornea. This usually happens when the outer layer of the cornea is affected. However, a large corneal abrasion is serious as the wound affects the inner thick layer of the cornea, and may cause damage to the eyesight. Proper eye care is necessary to overcome this problem, otherwise it may lead to severe eye infection.

Corneal Abrasion Symptoms
Corneal abrasion symptoms include pain and discomfort in the eye, especially while blinking. A false perception of something solid in the eye is a sign of corneal abrasion. Other symptoms include:

• Blurred vision
• Tearing of the eye
• Watery eye
• Eye discomfort due to exposure to bright light
• A portion of white part of the eye becomes red; small blood vessels can be seen;
• Sensitivity to light

Corneal Abrasion Diagnosis
The doctor uses an opthalmoscope (an instrument) to closely study the eye. This helps in determining whether the eye has a corneal abrasion. However, nowadays slit lamp microscopes are used to identify injuries to the cornea, due to their high magnification power.

Corneal Abrasion Treatment
Treatment for corneal abrasion will be given considering the severity of the wound. The doctor will examine the affected eye thoroughly to evaluate the nature of the injury, and accordingly decide the course of the treatment.

Eye Drops: For a minor injury, use of antibiotic eye drops is sufficient to heal small corneal abrasions within a short duration of time ( 2 - 3 days). These antispasmodic eye drops, considered to be an effective corneal abrasion treatment, have shown to ease the discomfort and pain in the eyes. Steroid eye drops and painkillers are also administered to relieve eye inflammation.

Eye patches: If the corneal abrasion is severe or large and the wound has penetrated into cornea. then along with eye drops, eye patches (pressure dressing) over the affected eye can be helpful in this regard. Frequent visits to the doctor are essential to evaluate the wound.

Tetanus Vaccination: An ophthalmologist may also advice the patient to take a tetanus vaccination in case a foreign body (metal particles) is responsible for causing the injury. Tetanus vaccine helps to prevent development of bacterial infection from a corneal abrasion.

Surgery: In some cases, the wound heals, leaving a severe scar on the surface of the cornea leading to impaired vision. In such circumstances, a laser procedure is used to remove scarring.

Corneal Abrasion Home Treatment
One can always use clean water to remove a foreign object that is causing a lot of irritation in the eye. An eye cup can be extremely useful to thoroughly rinse the eye. Or else one can use hands to pour water, to flush off dust particles. Another effective corneal abrasion treatment is to fill clean water in a large vessel and then dip the head into it, keeping the eyes open. You can also blink the eyes, intermittently in the water to wash off the object. A saline solution can also be a good option to rinse the eye.

Recurrent Corneal Abrasion Treatment
This is an eye disorder in which the person suffers from frequent episodes of corneal abrasion in a year. This clearly indicates that previous body abrasions did not heal properly. People with dry eye or other eye problems such as corneal dystrophy also tend to suffer from recurrent corneal abrasion. In order to prevent recurrent corneal erosion, one can install a humidifier to ensure that the surrounding air remains humid and not dry. Those who have had corneal abrasion, should wear protective glasses while roaming in the sun or playing with children. Use of eye ointments such as lacrilube daily before sleeping can also be beneficial to prevent return of corneal abrasion.

To know more about corneal abrasion read:

• Scratchy Eyes
• Scratched Cornea Treatment
• Scratched Cornea Symptoms

Most importantly, while undergoing corneal abrasion treatment, rubbing the eye affected with corneal abrasion should be avoided as it will just make matters worse. The eyeball should not be touched with cotton swabs or tweezers as they can cause eye infection. Even if the foreign object is trapped in the eye ball, avoid touching it as it can simply aggravate this injury.