Removing the foreign body from the eye will require you to assess the situation and deal with it with appropriate treatment. For example, if something large gets stuck in your eye, such as a piece of glass or metal, you should go to the emergency room for immediate medical attention. However, if you have something smaller in your eye, such as an eyelash or debris, you can rinse your eye with water to remove the object. Learn how to remove an object from your eye so you know what action to take if you or someone you know finds yourself in this situation.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing to Take Things Out
Step 1. Infer whether you need immediate medical attention
If you have an object stuck in your eye, you may need to seek medical attention before trying anything else. You can make it worse by trying to remove the object from your eye alone. Seek immediate medical attention if the object is larger than an eyelash or if you experience any of the following:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Headache or dizziness
- Dim or impaired vision
- Dizziness or loss of consciousness
- Rash or fever
- Inability to remove the object from your eye
- Pain, redness, or discomfort persists after the object is removed from the eye
Step 2. Wash your hands
Washing your hands will help remove pathogens such as dirt, dust, or bacteria from the contaminated eye. Use antibacterial soap with warm water and wash your hands for two minutes. Also wash under your nails and between your fingers.
This precaution needs to be taken to ensure that bacteria, contaminants or other irritating objects do not get into the eyes, which are quite susceptible to damage and infection
Step 3. Check to see if you can see the object
The location of the foreign object can help you determine whether it has caused damage to the eye. It is important to know where the object is and not to try to put any tools in the eye. Using other equipment can injure the eyes and may contaminate them.
Step 4. Move your eyes to help you find the object
Move your eyes back and forth in an attempt to locate the object. Move your eyes from left to right, as well as from top to bottom. It may be difficult to pay attention to your eyes while doing this. After moving your eyes, look in the mirror and see if you can find the foreign object.
- Move your head left and right and then move it up and down to move your eyes while looking at it in the mirror.
- Use your fingers to pull the eyelid down and then slowly look up.
- Repeat this process, but this time pulling your eyelids up and then looking down.
- If you're having trouble seeing anything, have someone else check it out.
Part 2 of 3: Removing Things
Step 1. Know what to avoid
Before attempting to remove a foreign body from the eye, it is important to know what to avoid. Keep the following information in mind when you try to remove an object from your eye:
- Never remove any piece of metal that has caught in the eye, large or small.
- Never apply pressure to the eye in an attempt to remove the object.
- Never use tweezers, toothpicks, or other hard objects to remove objects from your eyes.
Step 2. Use an eye wash solution to rinse the object
Using a sterile eyewash solution to rinse your eyes is the best way to remove any foreign or irritating objects from your eyes. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recommends rinsing your eyes with water for at least fifteen minutes. Use a sterile eyewash solution to rinse the eyes with running water.
Keep in mind that eyewash solutions won't neutralize many chemicals. This will just thin it out and rinse it off. For this reason, you will need a large amount of eye wash solution
Step 3. Stand in the shower and let the water run down your open eyes
If you are at home and you have a small foreign object in your eye such as eyelashes or dirt, you can try rinsing it with running water slowly from the shower.
- Do not direct the water directly into your eyes. Instead, let the water hit your forehead and run down your face.
- Hold the infected eye open with your fingers so water can drain through it.
- Let the water run over your eye for a few minutes to see if it can remove the foreign object from your eye.
Step 4. Observe the rinse times for various chemicals
The amount of time it takes to rinse your eyes will vary depending on the type of irritant or chemical in your eye. If something gets stuck in your eye, you will need to wash it until you feel the object has come out. If there is also a chemical irritating object, you will need to rinse it for a certain amount of time depending on the chemical.
- For moderately irritating chemicals, rinse for five minutes.
- For moderate to severe irritants, rinse for at least 20 minutes.
- For corrosive substances that do not penetrate the inside of the eye such as acid, rinse for 20 minutes.
- For penetrating corrosive objects such as lye, rinse for at least 60 minutes.
Step 5. Seek immediate medical attention if you need to rinse for more than a few minutes
If the foreign object does not come out of the eye after a few minutes of rinsing it, or if there is also a severe irritant in your eye, tell someone else right away. Ask someone to call a poisoning information center and seek medical attention immediately.
Part 3 of 3: Flushing Eyes in an Emergency
Step 1. Know what wounds need to be rinsed immediately
In some circumstances, such as if you have been exposed to a pollutant or a serious irritant to your eyes, you do not need to use a sterile eye wash. Instead, you should focus on washing your eyes thoroughly immediately, and then seeking medical attention.
- For example, if you accidentally splash your eyes with chemicals such as acids, alkalis (basic), corrosive substances or other irritating objects, stop what you are doing and rinse your eyes immediately with water.
- Remember that some chemicals react in the opposite way with water. For example, most of the alkali metals (on the far left of the periodic table) react strongly to water. Do not rinse this chemical with water.
Step 2. Use an eyewash sink if available
Most places where you can splash your eyes with harmful chemicals will be equipped with a special eye wash basin. If you have a foreign object or chemical in your eye, go immediately to the eye wash sink and:
- Lower the lever. The levers will have brightly colored markings and are easy to find.
- Place your face in front of the mouth of the drain. This mouth will spray water into your eyes with low pressure.
- Keep your eyes open as wide as possible. Use your fingers to keep your eyes open as you rinse.
Step 3. Rinse your eyes with running water from the sink
If you can't find an eyewash sink right away or if you're in a place that doesn't have an eyewash sink (such as at home), you can use running water from your sink. Tap water is not ideal for washing the eyes, as it is not as sterile as the pure water used in many laboratories. But it's far more important to rinse the chemical out of the eye than worrying about the possibility of infection. To wash your eyes using the sink:
- Go to the nearest sink and turn on the cold water. If the water is very cold, you may need to adjust it until the temperature is lukewarm.
- Then, stand leaning toward the sink and squirt water over your open eyes. If the sink has an adjustable faucet, point it directly at your eyes with low pressure and keep your eyes open with your fingers.
- Rinse your eyes for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 4. Call a poisoning information center for advice on chemical irritants
After washing your eyes, you should call the poisoning information center at (021) 4250767 or (021) 4227875 for advice. If possible, have someone else call him while you rinse your eyes. Then seek immediate medical attention.
If your eyes are exposed to hazardous chemicals, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible, even if your eyes have been rinsed
Warning
Do not touch the eye with your fingers or try to use an object or device to remove anything from the eye. Sterile eye wash or water are the best options for removing foreign bodies from your eyes
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