How to Treat Eye Injuries

The best way to treat an eye injury depends on the type of damage the eye sustained. If the injury is serious, going to an eye doctor is the safest way to treat the problem. For simple injuries such as a black eye, treating the eye at home will usually take care of the problem.

• Identify the problem with your eye to see if you can treat the injury at home. Ask a family member to help you examine the eye. Try to treat the injury on your own to see if the problem goes way.


• Go to a local pharmacy to buy eye drops if you have an infection. You can also wash your eye with a non-abrasive soap and then apply a warm compress to help relieve the pain. Monitor the eye to see if it gets worse so you can go to a doctor for treatment if necessary.


• Put some ice on an eye that has swelling due to a collision. You may not have a black eye yet, but you can still apply some ice to relieve the pain and to reduce the swelling. Put the ice on for 15 minutes then remove it to see if the swelling goes down. Reapply the ice as necessary until the eye is no longer swollen.


• See an eye doctor if you have an injury to your eye that is not treatable at home. Do not wait to go to a doctor until the pain in your eye becomes unmanageable. Call the doctor’s office and explain your injury to the appointment scheduler.


• Go to a hospital emergency room to receive treatment for your eye if you cannot see the eye doctor. Take your insurance card with you to the hospital. Ask a family member to drive you so you do not have to move your injured eye around any more than necessary. Contact your regular doctor after you visit the hospital to schedule a follow-up visit to make sure that your eye injury is healing properly.