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Childhood is often full of bumps and scrapes. For many of these injuries, a kiss and a bandage go a long way toward complete healing. However, injuries affecting the most vulnerable parts of your child’s body can be much more serious.

One of the most intimidating types of childhood injuries is a foreign object in one or both of the child’s eyes. Understanding how to deal with this common issue can help you feel calmer in the situation and prevent serious eye issues for your child.

Signs of Foreign Objects in the Eyes

In some cases, you may be able to easily see the foreign object affecting your child’s eye. However, like many childhood conditions, foreign objects can be difficult for parents to spot and for children to identify on their own.

Depending on what type of foreign object is in your child’s eye, he or she may not know what’s causing his or her discomfort. Take a look in your child’s eyes to see if there’s an object on the surface that doesn’t belong. Also check for the following symptoms:

  • Blurred vision or other vision changes
  • Excessive blinking
  • Feeling of something being in the eye
  • Redness on the surface of the eye or the skin around the eye
  • Rubbing the eyes repeatedly
  • Sudden irritability, especially in young, nonverbal children
  • Tearing that doesn’t necessarily seem related to normal crying
  • Trouble keeping the affected eye open even for short periods of time

The long-term effect of a foreign object on your child’s eyes depends on the type of object and how it’s addressed. Most dry, nontoxic foreign objects can be removed without damaging the eye. These particles can cause corneal abrasions and other injuries to the surface of the eye if left unaddressed.

Other, more hazardous foreign objects or substances can potentially cause permanent vision changes if they are not treated appropriately.

Common Foreign Objects That Threaten the Eyes

While numerous objects could potentially enter the eyes and cause discomfort, certain types of objects are more likely to cause eye injuries than others. Teach your children to exercise appropriate care with:

  • Loose eyelashes
  • Dried mucus, also called sleep grit
  • Liquid chemicals
  • Liquid beauty items, like shampoo
  • Sand
  • Sawdust or woodchips

It may take your child some time to practice safe habits around certain potentially hazardous household items, like shampoo. When your child begins to take baths on his or her own, be sure that he or she knows to immediately flush the eye out with clean water if he or she feels like a beauty supply got in it.

Additionally, be sure that your child wears eye protection in any situation that has greater inherent risk of eye injury, such as lawn mowing or practicing carpentry.

Immediate First Aid Responses

As soon as you suspect that your child has a foreign object in his or her eye, discourage any rubbing. If your child can resist rubbing, many foreign objects can be moved without damaging the surface of the eyeball.

Wash and dry your hands thoroughly. If possible, move your child to a clean, well-lit area with water on hand, like your home’s main bathroom. Once you’re in place and your hands are clean of particles that could contribute to the issue, assess your child’s eye. You may have to use your fingers to keep the eye open.

If the object is visible and is sitting on the surface of the eye in the front, flush the eye out with cool water. You may have flush the eye multiple times to shift the object. You can either use a trickle of water from the tap or an eyedropper for this step.

If the object has moved to the corner of the eye, get a clean cloth damp. Then, use gentle motions to move the object off the eyeball and the eyelid.

Signs That Your Child Needs Medical Attention

If the object appears to have penetrated the eye at all, consider the situation a medical emergency and take your child to an emergency room immediately. To prevent further damage, place a curved covering, like a plastic cup, over your child’s eye and use medical tape to secure it.

If your child seems to be in acute pain, seek emergency medical attention rather than attempting at-home first aid measures.

If you know or suspect that the substance in your child’s eye is a chemical, call poison control and follow their instructions. If the chemical container has instructions to flush the eye, do so while you wait for emergency responders.

If your child experiences a foreign object in his or her eye, be sure to schedule a checkup with an eye doctor soon after any initial visit to a doctor or emergency room. An optometrist at the All About Eyes location nearest you can assess your child’s eyes and vision to treat any existing issues caused by the foreign object.

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