Advice, getting stuff out your eyes

[Mith]

Well on a slightly less humorus topic. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Yesterday got a piece of dirt in my eye. Now nearly 24 hours later its still there. Its like having someone poke a needle in your eye every 5 seconds. My eye is watering so bad I can only see blurs and my other eye is blurey from birth. Really dont know how to get it out, have tried crying, eating loads of chocolate, splashing it with water, showering, eye bath thing, not coming out. Dunno what to do next except have a beer. Tried fabricating a lift linkage this morning but was having trouble. Is it possible that the dirt has come out and its a scratch or something? Scrathecd my eye a few years ago and it feels like that but cant remember too well.
Any ideas besides getting someone to look at it? Anyone with a sucessful idea gets a 4 packs of beer, its worth it to me honestly.
Thanks /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Egon]

Go see a doctor. They are able to help!

Egon

 

[JerryG]

If it is still in there after that long, you need to see a doctor. I have had someone else take a match and hold my eye lid out. Then they can touch the match head to the piece of dirt and it will stick to the match. After this long, it may be stuck to the eye and causing damage. Go to the doctor.

 

[Mith]

Well I cant actuall see anything, that makes me think its a little scratch, might go to sleep now, see it that helps

 

[PineRidge]

As others have said see a doctor. It is possible that you scratched your cornea.

Whenever I got something in my eye in the past instead of rubbing it I immediately flushed it with clean water. Rubbing your eyes with even a speck of dirt in one is what does the damage.

 

[Mrwurm]

"It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but, once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! — yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture — a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so, by degrees — very gradually — I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever. "
Edgar Allan Poe
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DocHeb]

I like the chocolate idea - shame it didn't work.

As long as there is no high-speed foreign-body injury (e.g.: working with a grinding wheel, hitting a metal hammer against a chisel), you can check things yourself.

Since you've tried washing out the eye, you've ruled-out the easily removable foreign body. One of three things have happened:

1. Foreign body lodged under upper lid.
2. Foreign body lodged on cornea.
3. Corneal abrasion complicating #1 or #2.

This is not really a do-it-yourself project - you'll need a helper.

For #1. You lay on your back, gently close your eyes. Your helper places a cotton-tipped applicator (in the US, a "Q-Tip") horizontally across the middle of the upper lid. While gently pulling up on your lashes, the applicator is pushed towards your chin. This will "evert" the lid. After eversion, a little backwards pressure on the lid margin will keep it everted. Look for a small speck stuck on the inside surface of the upper lid. It can be gently swept off with a moist cotton applicator.

For #2: Using a magnifying glass, the helper looks for something stuck on the clear portion of the eye. If found, you will need a doctor's help. These corneal foreign bodies usually end up being metal, and they are often steel pieces that stick to the front of the eye and actually rust onto the eye. The metal is easy to remove (by professionals), yet a small "rust-ring" may remain that needs follow-up care by an ophthalmologist.

For #3: If there is no inner lid foreign body, and no visualized corneal foreign body, you probably have a scratch. With no significant trauma or known object hitting your eye, you can give this 12-24 hours to see if it improves by itself.

Of course, this advice is provided by a professional stunt doctor on a closed course. Your mileage may vary.

 

[kensfarm]

"Any ideas besides getting someone to look at it?"

Your eyes are worth the trip to the doctor.. he'd have you fixed up and feeling better!

It's miserable enough when it's happens for a few minutes.. don't drive yourself.. the pain in one eye can cause a reflex that forces you to shut both eyes.

 

[Mith]

well guys I walked to the doc, he couldnt find anything but I was adament there was something there. He put in this red dye which makes me look stoned and found the tiniest speck of something. All is well again. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The worst thing is, apart from all the kids stepping away from me thinking I was on drugs (actually no that was funny), was I didnt get a sticker for being good. How rubbish is that. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[oliver28472]

Glad you are OK. Had to have a sliver of steel removed by an eye Doctor. I was grinding on something AND using safety glasses. There is no substitute for the doctor when you gotta have one.