In the eye, a foreign body: first aid. How to remove from the eye foreign body?
Quite often there are situations when a foreign body enters the eye. It can be eyelashes, small winged insects, dust particles. Much less often there may be elements associated with any human activity, for example, metal or wood shavings. The ingress of a foreign body into the eye, depending on its nature, can be considered dangerous or not. If first aid is improperly rendered, then the minor problem can turn into a serious situation.
Causes of ingress of a foreign body
Situations due to which foreign elements can enter the organs of vision, are different. If a foreign body is seen in the eye, the reasons for this may be as follows:
- Non-observance of personal hygiene. In this case, the various elements fall most often in the eyes of small children who after the street do not wash their hands and begin to rub their faces with them. In the organs of vision is the smallest debris, grains of sand, dust.
- Occupational injuries. They usually arise when a person works in a factory, where metal or wood is processed on machines. Flying particles can change their trajectory and at high speed they enter the eye, penetrating deep into it, which leads to severe trauma.
- Strong wind. In this case, the vortices lift dust, small sawdust and other particles that can get into the face from the ground.
- Contact lenses. If you treat them correctly, they will not cause any harm to the person. But when using them with dirty hands, foreign bodies are often introduced into the eyes.
- Woolen clothes. If you wear a sweater over your head from a wool, very thin villi remain on your eyelashes, which after a while will go unnoticed into your eyes.
Signs of finding a foreign body in the eye
The sensation of a foreign body in the eye can be manifested as minor discomfort and unbearable pain. It depends on how badly the organ of vision is damaged, and the location of the foreign object.
Usually, the foreign body in the eye causes pain and discomfort. There may be lacrimation, redness, burning, bleeding from the surface vessels, photosensitivity increases, soft tissues swell, vision begins to cloud.
Very rarely, if a small and acute foreign matter is ingested, the eye is completely absent or the symptoms of damage are very slight. A person can not disturb anything, but if there is a suspicion that the eye has a foreign body, he should immediately call on the ophthalmologist.
What is the danger of getting into the eye of a foreign object?
Foreign elements in the organ of vision cause its toxic or mechanical damage, as well as inflammatory reactions( blepharitis, keratitis, conjunctivitis, uveitis), hemorrhages and secondary complications.
The safest way is to find a foreign body in the conjunctival sac. If the object is acute, it easily penetrates into the cornea or sclera. And if he flew at high speed, then they are damaged.
If the foreign object in the eye is iron or copper, there is often such a nuisance as metallosis, which is a chemical reaction with the tissues of the eye. The danger is that the visual acuity begins to drop, twilight blindness may occur, the field of vision narrows, and other symptoms appear. If a foreign object is in the eye for a long time, then very serious complications can arise.
How to provide first aid?
If a foreign body is seen in the eye, first aid should be given as soon as possible. It is necessary to examine the organ of vision, lifting the upper eyelid and lowering the lower one. In some cases, such manipulation is quite enough to remove the object that has fallen into it.
How to remove a foreign body from the eye? When it is detected, it is necessary to determine whether it is hard or soft. If the item is soft, you can try to remove it. You can not move it over the surface of the eye and should not be poked into its center, but it is necessary to make a point from the tip of a clean handkerchief and try to capture this particle in such a way that it sticks to it, after which it is removed.
If the object can not be removed, it is forbidden to rub eyes, otherwise the foreign body will only penetrate deeper into it, which can lead to additional injuries. The injured organ of vision should be kept in the closed position for as long as possible, since blinking can increase irritation.
After that, the bandage is applied to the eye in such a way that it does not press on the eyeball, and they seek medical help.
Diagnosis of
If the patient complains of a foreign body sensation in the eye, a diagnosis should be performed. The examination consists in the implementation of the procedure for checking eyesight and carefully examining the membranes of the eye with a special lamp.
Also for inspection, an ultrasound device, an ophthalmoscope and an eye radiography can be used.
Removal of a foreign body in a hospital
If you yourself have not been able to remove a foreign object from the eyes or this poses a danger to human health, it is necessary for the victim to be urgently transported to the hospital for the provision of qualified assistance. Complex cases require the involvement of an ophthalmologist.
The doctor removes a foreign body from the eye with a wet swab that moistens in an antiseptic, or performs a jet wash with a special solution. These manipulations are carried out in the event that an extraneous particle is on the surface of the eye.
If the mote entered the conjunctiva region, its removal is performed using an anesthetic solution, since this procedure is rather painful. First, the doctor buried the solution in the eye, and after he began to act, using a pair of tweezers or a needle, removes the foreign object. After its extraction, the eyes are washed, and sodium sulfacyl is placed behind the eyelids. Usually, after the removal of an extraneous particle, the inflammation passes very quickly, but sometimes the patient may feel a slight discomfort. Usually this happens because of micro-trauma on the conjunctiva.
Sometimes a foreign body can get on the cornea. In this case, the mote lies deep in the eye, as they penetrated with great force. It can be wooden fragments, metal shavings, glass. Some time after penetration around the extraneous particle there is an infiltration. If the mote is not removed in a timely manner, very soon a fester will form around it. To confirm the diagnosis, biomicroscopy and diaphanoscopy are performed. An anesthetic is then instilled in the eye, and the foreign object is removed with a special instrument. After this, a bandage is imposed on the organ of vision and a course of antibiotics is prescribed.
Foreign particles enter the eye cavity very rarely. In this case, the foreign object penetrates the vascular membrane or vitreous body. This can lead to iridocyclitis, opacity of the vitreous, as well as dystrophy and retinal detachment. If a foreign object gets into the eye with great force, it can cause it to crush.
Prevention
Preventive measures to prevent the ingress of foreign particles into the eyes are the observance of personal hygiene and safety rules in the workplace. If work is related to the operation of the machine, be sure to wear protective goggles. Young children need constant monitoring, and older people are advised to clarify the rules of personal hygiene.
Conclusion
Thus, if you suspect that the eye is a foreign body, you can try to get rid of it yourself. But you only need to do this if the organ of vision is not harmed. If, for example, metal shavings have flown, you need to take the help of an ophthalmologist, otherwise serious complications can arise.