Eye injuries could be more common than you think — according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, close to 52,000 people received hospital treatment for an eye injury from July 2010 to June 2015.

Your eyesight is precious, so it’s essential to know how to treat — and prevent — eye injuries. Not only will performing first aid treatment for eyes bring relief, but it could also save someone’s eyesight too.

Take a look at our latest blog post to find out some essential first-aid tips for eyes.

Treating eye injuries

Let’s first take a look at first aid for eyes, covering some of the most common injuries.

Before we start, it’s important to know that if an object like a shard of glass or metal has penetrated the eye, you should not attempt to remove it. Instead, cover the eye with a clean dressing and dial triple zero (000) for help.

When treating eye injuries, you should not:

  • Touch the eye or contact lens
  • Allow the patient to rub the eye
  • Apply pressure when dressing the eye

For particles in the eye

1. Pull the upper lid down and get the patient to blink several times

2. If the particle is still there, stand behind the patient while they are sitting down

3. Ask them to lean back slightly in the direction of the side of the affected eye

4. Gently separate the upper and lower eyelids

5. Use saline eye wash or tap water if eye wash is not available to flush the eye from the innermost corner outwards in 10-second bursts, then allow the patient to blink. Keep repeating the process until the particle is dislodged

6. If you cannot remove the particle, cover the eye with a clean dressing and seek medical attention

For chemical exposure

1. Before you start treating the patient, take care not to come into contact with the chemical yourself

2. Get the patient to sit down and lean back

3. Flush the eye with an eye wash or tap water. You should do this continuously for 15 to 20 minutes, ensuring that the water runs away from the other eye

4. While you are doing this, get someone to call for medical help and identify the chemical if possible

5. Place a clean dressing over the eye while you wait for help

For a bruised eye socket

1. Check for any additional injuries to the patient’s head or neck. If you find any, these should be dealt with first

2. To treat a bruised eye socket, gently place a cold compress over the eye area but do not apply pressure

3. Seek medical attention if the casualty experiences any bleeding, bruising, changes to their vision, or if it hurts when they move their eye

Preventing eye injuries

It’s always best to prevent eye injuries rather than have to treat them. Follow our checklists to safeguard your eye health.

Eye safety at home

  • Before mowing the lawn, check for stones and other debris that could fly up and injure your eyes.
  • Keep chemicals and paints stored securely and make sure they are properly labeled too.
  • Wear safety goggles when using strong detergents or doing jobs such as carpentry that could involve splinters or debris penetrating your eyes.
  • Supervise young children at play and cover sharp corners on furniture and furnishings.
  • Inspect your child’s toys regularly to ensure they are in good condition and don’t have any sharp features.
  • Do not let young children use flying or firing toys, for example, toy guns that fire foam pellets.

Eye safety at work

  • Follow your employer’s health and safety guidelines
  • This may include eliminating hazards that could cause eye injuries and wearing safety goggles

Sports eye safety

  • Wear a helmet, face shield, or goggles as appropriate for your sport
  • Understand that regular spectacles won’t protect your eyes from injury

Eye first aid kit essentials

For peace of mind, keep a well-stocked first aid kit at home or your workplace so you can treat eye injuries quickly.

Useful items that will help you treat eye injuries include:

Keep an eye on safety

Being able to give first aid to the eyes is a worthy skill and could prevent someone’s condition from worsening or the loss of sight.

It’s also a good idea to keep safety in mind and know how to prevent eye injuries in the first place — as well as to be prepared with a fully stocked first aid kit.

MediBC offers a full range of first aid kits and refills too, so you can rest assured that you have everything to hand in case of an eye emergency.

Browse our collection today and make sure you are fully prepared to step in if your eye first aid skills are needed.