The Swollen Eye
This information has been prepared as a service to our patients. It is not meant to act as a substitute for individual medical advice for specific patients.
For after-hour emergencies please call (+92)302 829 1799.
Serious eye injuries could require immediate treatment or surgery to prevent permanent eye damage resulting in vision loss. However, minor surface scratches, on the other hand, may need only simple monitoring after an initial visit to the eye specialist to make sure complications such as eye infections do not occur.
This is a guide to common eye injuries, developed to help you determine the next immediate and appropriate step following an accident, especially if you are in an emergency situation. Remember also that common sense safety precautions such as wearing safety goggles or shatter proof glasses if you indulge in high velocity sports, or activities such as carpentry or mechanical work may be your best approach to preventing eye injuries altogether and maintaining healthy vision for a lifetime.
The Swollen Eye
Eye swelling and puffy, swollen eyelids can result from being struck in the eye such as from a baseball moving at a high speed. The best immediate treatment for this type of eye injury is an ice pack.
Remember, You may have a simple black eye (bruising around the eye), but you should see an eye doctor to make sure there is no internal damage. Remember that seeing well out of the eye is an important sign that chances are no immediate serious injury has occurred. However, very often blunt injury to the eye can set in motion a cascade of events that cause serious damage to the eye in the days or weeks that follow. A flash light or torch assisted examination at the doctor’s office or the emergency room is not adequate to determine if injury has or has not occurred. Insist on a full and detailed examination.
What to do in case of an eye injury
If you have any eye injury, contact your eye specialist immediately for advice.
Most eye doctors have emergency contact numbers for injuries that occur after normal business hours or on weekends. If you have an eye emergency please do not insist on waiting to see a particular doctor. All trained eye specialists are capable of providing this care. Do not lose precious time by waiting. If you cannot contact the eye specialists office, please proceed to emergency room.
Once you are in the care of a doctor, be sure to mention if you wear contact lenses so you can be advised whether to leave them in or remove them.
Depending on the type of eye injury, the doctor may want you to flush your eye with water or saline solution. In more serious situations, you may need surgery.
Treat all eye injuries as potential emergencies, and never hesitate to contact or see an eye doctor immediately. Please avoid taking unnecessary risks with your eyesight.