Corneal abrasions are a small scratch on the cornea, the clear window at the front of the eye. They are generally a result of trauma (injury) to the surface of the eye. Common causes include a fingernail scratching the eye, walking into something, and getting grit in the eye, particularly if the eye is then rubbed. Injuries can also be caused by contact lens insertion and removal.
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Abrasions are very painful because there are many nerves that supply the cornea.The pain gets better as your eye heals, but this can take between 24 and 48 hours.If the abrasion involves the central part of your cornea, your vision could also be temporarily affected.Apart from the pain, your eye might be watery, red and sensitive to light.
If your eye becomes increasingly red or painful, your sight becomes more blurred or you develop very noticeable and spreading redness together with a lot of swelling of the eyelids, you must contact the Practice Manager of your consultant or visit A&E at Moorfields Eye Hospital, 162 City Road, London EC1V 2PD.
Treatment generally involves a thorough examination of your eye and lids, to check for any trapped foreign body or grit and ensure there is no serious eye injury, followed by drops or ointment and, sometimes, an eye pad.If you are given an eye pad, you will need to keep it on for between 12 and 24 hours; if you find this uncomfortable,you can take it off and use sunglasses instead.
You should also note the following:- You may take ordinary pain killers, such as paracetamol, to help with the pain
- Avoid rubbing or touching your eye
- If you wear contact lenses, don’t use them until your eye is completely healed;you need to see your contact lens practitioner after finishing treatment for your abrasion before you wear your contact lenses again
If you are asked to use drops or ointments, please follow these steps:
- Lie down, or lean your head back, and look up
- Use a clean finger to gently pull down your lower eyelid to create a pocket
- If you are using eye drops, gently squeeze them into the pocket you have created,not directly onto your eye
- If you are using ointment, apply a small strip into the pocket
- Blink to spread the medication over your eye
If your eye becomes increasingly red or painful, your sight becomes more blurred or you develop very noticeable and spreading redness together with a lot of swelling of the eyelids, you must contact the Practice Manager of your consultant or visit A&E at Moorfields Eye Hospital, 162 City Road, London EC1V 2PD. Remember though that if your consultant or nurses put in pupil dilating (enlarging) drops, your sight will normally be blurred for 12-24 hours after these were put in.
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Corneal abrasion consultants
Miss Poornima Rai
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Mr Sajjad Ahmad
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Professor David Gartry
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Maria Theodorou
Consultant Ophthalmologist
Ms Laura de Benito-Llopis
Consultant Ophthalmologist
Mr Alexander Ionides
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Mr George Voyatzis
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Mr Rajesh Deshmukh
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Miss Sharmina Khan
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Mr Julian Stevens
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Mr Mark Wilkins
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Mr Romesh Angunawela
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Mr Jaheed Khan
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Miss Branka Marjanovic
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Mr Romil Patel
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Miss Linda Ficker
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Mr Kamran Saha
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Mr Vincenzo Maurino
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Mr Anant Sharma
Consultant ophthalmic surgeon (private practice in Bedford only)
Mr Martin Watson
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Professor Frank Larkin
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
News
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What is ‘20/20’ vision?Written by Mr Alexander Ionides, Consultant Ophthalmic SurgeonPaying for treatment
Private Medical InsuranceIf you are covered by private medical insurance, please verify the details with your insurer prior to arrival and if possible, obtain a pre-authorisation number.
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