Corneal Abrasion

What is a Corneal Abrasion?

A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the outer layer of the cornea — the clear surface at the front of the eye. Corneal abrasions can be very painful.

How does it happen?

Corneal abrasions can be caused by:

• A sports injury. This can happen in sports such as basketball or football, when a player takes a blow to the eye, or in tennis, when the ball strikes the eye.
• A tiny object getting into your eye. The object may wash out with your tears, or your ophthalmologist may need to remove it.
• An object scratching your eye. You can injure your eye with something as simple as a fingernail, a branch or a piece of paper.
• Problems with contact lenses. Contact lenses can break or crack and scratch your eye, and wearing them for too long can also cause an abrasion. Soft lenses that are not kept sterile can lead to eye infections, and eye infections can in turn cause a corneal abrasion.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms may include:

• redness
• watering
• a feeling that something is in your eye
• pain
• a scratching sensation
• sensitivity to light
• blurred vision

How is it diagnosed?

Your ophthalmologist will ask about your symptoms and whether you know how your eye was scratched. (If you don’t know, the cause may be a condition rather than an object in your eye.) Using special eye drops and a light that makes a corneal abrasion easier to see, your ophthalmologist will then examine your eye. The drops contain a painless dye that will tint your vision yellow for a few minutes.

How is it treated?

If something is still in your eye, your ophthalmologist will rinse it out with water or remove it with a cotton swab or a needle (after numbing your eye with an anaesthetic drop).

Your ophthalmologist may:

• Give you antibiotic drops or ointment to use for several days.
• Give you another medicine that dilates the pupil, helps relieve pain and promotes healing.
• Ask you to wear an eye patch. The patch keeps your eyelids closed, helping the cornea heal and easing the pain.
• Place a contact lens over your cornea to act as a bandage. This helps speed up healing and reduces discomfort.
• Want to see you every day until your eye has healed.

How long will the symptoms last?

Most corneal abrasions heal within a day or two. If your symptoms last longer than that, see your ophthalmologist again, as you may have a more serious problem.

How can I help prevent a corneal abrasion?

• Always wear protective eyewear — safety glasses at work, and suitable eye protection when playing sports in which your eyes could be injured.
• Follow your ophthalmologist’s instructions for using and caring for contact lenses, and do not wear them for longer than recommended.

Similar Medical Services