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Parents must act immediately when their child experiences eye injuries as they are among the most common preventable cause of blindness.

Flushing the eye with water is enough to fix many minor eye irritations, but more severe injuries would require medical help. Moreover, injuries that occur during rigorous or sports activities will likely require an appointment with your doctor.

A local provider of quality glasses and frames shares first-aid tips for children’s eye injuries.

What You Can Do

Before touching your child’s eyelids, make sure you have washed your hands thoroughly. Do what you can to prevent your child from touching their eyes. Avoid touching, pressing or rubbing the eye itself, and don’t attempt to remove any foreign body except flushing. Trying to remove the object from the eye can scratch the surface of the eye or the cornea.

Flush the eye with water as soon as you can. Tilt your child’s head over a sink or a basin with the injured eye pointed down. Pull down the lower lid gently and pour a steady stream of lukewarm water over the eye. Every five minutes, check if the foreign body has left the eye.

When Your Child Needs Medical Attention

Certain injuries call for a professional eye exam or medical attention. Contact your eye doctor if your child has been hit in the eye with a ball or another object. It’s the same for when they have a red or irritated eye, eye discomfort, swollen eyelids, and light sensitivity.

Contact emergency care immediately if your child has difficulty seeing, something embedded in the eye, or has been exposed to chemicals. Blood in the eye, severe eye pain, and nausea or vomiting following an eye injury are also considered emergencies.

For eye conditions and vision problems, you can depend on Eye & Vision Care. We also offer contacts, lenses, frames, and laser vision correction. Give us a call at (703) 783-1290 or you may also fill out our contact form to request an appointment. We serve patients in Haymarket, VA, and the surrounding communities.