Eye Injuries

Eye Abrasions

All eye injuries are potentially serious the eye is one of the most delicate organs in the human body. The front of the eye is extremely sensitive and abrasions can be very painful and irritating. If the cornea (eyeball) is scratched it is vital not to rub the eye as this can cause further damage.

Causes

• Bumps
• Head clashes
• Foreign body in the eye such as sand or grit
• Knock to the eye such as a branch flicking into the eye

Symptoms

• Tears
• Blurred vision
• Increased sensitivity or redness round the eye
• Pain
• Continuous feeling that there is something in the eye

Treatment

If there is something in the eye, wash out the eye with clean water or sterile fluid from a sealed container (such as an eye wash pod), to remove anything loose from the eye. Do not remove anything that will not be flushed out of the eye with water. Ask the casualty to hold a sterile dressing or sterile pad over the eye and send them to hospital. Putting a pad over both eyes will stop them blinking. Call for professional help send the casualty to hospital or call an ambulance.

Black Eyes

Bleeding beneath the skin around the eye. This can indicate a more extensive injury like a skull fracture, compression or brain injury, particularly if the area around both eyes is bruised or if there has been head trauma.

Causes

• Trauma
• Knocks to the head or eyes

Symptoms

• Bruising around eyelids and surrounding area
• Swelling
• Tender to the touch
• Possibly blurring of vision
• May feel dizzy
• Eye may close up due to swelling

Treatment of Black Eyes

Apply cold compress see PRICE regime Monitor eye for being blood shot Call for professional help and call an ambulance for severe pain or bleeding in the eye. Send to hospital if in any doubt. Any injury to an eye should ideally have both covered with a dressing, even if the damaged eye is closed it will still be moving around with the other one. Use an Eye Pad Dressing but cover the good eye with the remaining bandage, while remembering that the patient will be in pain, petrified about their sight and currently blind to protect their injury from getting worse. In Boxing bruising and swelling around the eye is often "removed" using an Eye Iron, a cold, heavy metal press, that does exactly as it says, it Irons the swelling away from the surface of the skin and around the eye and is pushed back into the circulation to try and remove it. We also manufacturer a range of British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) First Aid Kits for Boxing. See our full range of General First Aid Kits to have to hand in case of any incidences or injuries.