Eye injuries are damage to the organ of vision. They are classified according to the degree of tissue damage, as well as from the method of negative impact. Among the most common injuries are mechanical. This is a blow, penetration of foreign objects, etc. In second place in frequency are chemical, which include burns with alkalis or acids. Then comes thermal, implying exposure to extreme low or high eye temperature. Most often, injury by substances is combined with mechanical. Radiation injury is a separate category.
Injuries to the eyes without quality first aid can lead to serious consequences, including the development of dangerous diseases. It could be:
- Keratoconus.
- The appearance of malignant or benign neoplasms.
- Decrease in visual acuity due to the formation of scars, deformation of soft tissues.
- Blindness.
- If the wound becomes infected and pus builds up, the risk of sepsis increases.
To provide qualified first aid for eye and eyelid injuries, you can always contact the "K+31" clinic in Moscow. To make an appointment with an ophthalmologist in case of injury, leave a request on the website in a special form (this option is suitable for simple injuries).
You can contact us not only for the treatment of eye injuries, but also for solving problems associated with glaucoma, strabismus, myopia, hyperopia. We successfully perform vision correction by various methods, perform chalazion removal, and provide services for the treatment of other eye diseases.
Symptoms of an eye injury
Traumatic damage to the eyeball and surrounding tissues is not always noticeable. Sometimes a person can take them for the penetration of a minor foreign body (getting into the eye of a speck). The lack of timely assistance and treatment leads to the fact that serious pathologies can develop, including tissue atrophy.
The following symptoms may be added to discomfort, for example, after hitting a foreign object:
- Persistent tearing.
- Significant redness and swelling.
- Sensation of "sand" in the eye (characteristic of burns).
- Photophobia (due to the fact that in bright light a person experiences pain).
- Pain.
- Fuzzy image.
- Uncontrolled contractions of the circular muscles of the eyelids.
- Noticeable defects on the cornea.
Any of these signs indicate a deterioration in the condition and can lead to various problems. These symptoms are a direct indication for the immediate visit of the victim to the doctor.
You can come to the "K+31" clinic personally, for example, to provide first aid for an eye injury in a child, or you can ask a question by calling the phone number listed on the website. We accept patients with any eye injury. We use only effective methods of treatment, selected for each case individually. It is better to turn to professionals than to try to solve the problem on your own, and increase the risk of complications in the form of various diseases.
Blunt injuries
Blunt eye injuries occur without violating the integrity of its outer shells. Depending on the outcome, blunt eye injuries can be classified according to severity:
- mild injuries;
- moderate injuries;
- severe injuries.
In the outcome of mild injuries, the state of all structures of the eye is normalized, and vision is restored completely. Minor injuries include, for example, corneal erosion, small retinal hemorrhages.
With injuries of an average degree, complete recovery of damaged structures of the eye does not occur, and vision can be reduced, up to light projection. Such injuries include deep corneal erosion, hemorrhages in the anterior chamber of the eye (hyphema), iris ruptures, damage to the lens, massive retinal hemorrhages.
In severe injuries, irreversible structural changes in the eye occur, leading to a complete loss of visual functions (retinal detachment, detachment of the optic nerve, dislocation of the lens into the vitreous body).
Injuries to the eyeball
Wounds of the eyeball occur due to a violation of the integrity of the outer (corneoscleral) shell of the eye and can be:
- penetrating;
- non-penetrating.
With penetrating wounds in the outer shell of the eye there is a wound channel that passes through all its layers.
A penetrating wound is classified as simple if only the membranes of the eyeball are damaged, to complex if the membranes and internal structures are damaged.
Unlike a non-penetrating wound, with a penetrating wound, the internal structures of the eye may fall out, and a foreign body may be found inside the eye. The outflow of intraocular fluid from the wound channel, a sharply reduced intraocular pressure, may also indicate about a penetrating wound.
Possible complications of penetrating wounds:
- Purulent complications (purulent iridocyclitis, endophthalmitis, panophthalmitis)
- Sympathetic ophthalmia is an autoimmune inflammation of the membranes of the uninjured eye.
- Metallosis of the eye (chalcosis, siderosis) - impregnation and violation of the structures of the eye with particles of metals that have entered the eye with a foreign body.
Complications of injuries can lead not only to the absolute loss of visual functions, but also to the loss of the eye as an organ, followed by its enucleation.
First aid for eye injuries
All manipulations as part of independent first aid for an eye injury in the first place should not harm. For example, the use of cotton wool is prohibited, because the fibers can harm the cornea. In the case of a chemical burn, when washing with clean water, the procedure should be carried out simultaneously on both eyes (even if one is damaged) for several minutes. Also, do not try to neutralize the action of alkali with acid or vice versa. It is not recommended for inflammatory processes to use various ointments applied around the eye, for example, on the eyelid. The medicine must be chosen correctly, taking into account the indications, the nature of the damage, etc.
The right decision is to call a doctor or seek first aid yourself. This is especially true in cases where discomfort in the eye after an injury only increases, and there was also a stab wound with a sharp object. Leave a request on the site, our operator will contact you and select the time for reception. An integrated approach to diagnosis, determining the type and severity of eye injuries, allows specialists to choose an effective treatment. Our ophthalmologists have a lot of positive feedback from patients whose eyesight was saved after serious eye injuries, for example, at work. An ambulance is available for an eye injury in Moscow with a sick leave.