Eye Injuries: Check Your Symptoms

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Check Your Symptoms

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, click on the "Yes" in front of the question for information about how soon to see a health professional.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your symptoms.

If you have any of the following symptoms, evaluate those symptoms first.

• A flash burn or chemical burn to your eye: Go to the topic Burns to the Eye.
• An object in your eye: Go to the topic Objects in the Eye.

Yes

Do you have an object in your eye? Note: If the object hit your eye at a high speed or is a piece of metal, do not try to remove it.

Yes

Have you been hit in the eye?

Yes

Have you had eye problems after an ultraviolet (UV) light exposure? Note: You may not have any symptoms for 6 to 8 hours after exposure to ultraviolet light.

Yes

Do you have a cut on or around your eye?

Yes

Do you think an eye injury may have been caused by abuse?

Yes

Do you think you have an infection after an eye injury?

Other Symptoms to Watch For

Do you have any of the following symptoms?

• An eye problem without an eye injury, such as pain, blurred vision, or blood in the eye: Go to the topic Eye Problems, Noninjury.
• Facial injury: Go to the topic Facial Injuries.
• Head injury: Go to the topic Head Injury, Age 4 and Older or Head Injury, Age 3 and Younger.
• A cut in the skin near the eye or on the eyelid without an injury to the eyeball: Go to the topic Cuts.
• Sunburn: Go to the topic Sunburn.
• Burn to the face: Go to the topic Burns.

If a visit to a health professional is not needed immediately, see the Home Treatment section for self-care information.

Last updated:	December 06, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, Christopher J. Rudnisky, MD, FRCSC - Ophthalmology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer