An eye injury is when there is harm to the eye or the area around it. This can include scratches, cuts, burns or objects stuck in the eye. Some injuries can be minor. Others can be serious and may damage your child’s vision if not treated right away.

Eye injuries are common during the following activities:

• Sports such as hockey, baseball, basketball or boxing
• Sports that involve rackets, such as tennis
• Darts
• Archery
• BB gun use
• Biking

Other common causes of eye injuries:

• Chemicals
• Toys
• Fingernails

Common symptoms of eye injuries:

• Swelling of the eyelid or bruising around the eye
• Pain, burning or redness in the eye
• Extreme blinking
• Loss of movement of the eye
• A feeling of something in the eye
• Tearing of the eye

Many different types of eye, or ocular, injuries require care from an expert.

Blood in the Eye

Hyphema means blood is in the front part of the eye. That’s the part that helps feed and protect the eye. This normally happens after an injury but can also occur in kids with other health problems. If you see blood in your child’s eye, seek care right away.

Bruised or Black Eye

A bruised or black eye occurs when the tissue around the eye becomes bruised. This usually occurs from something hitting the eye.

Chemical Burns of the Eye 

Chemical burns occur when a child gets any chemical, including household cleaners, in their eye. This is an emergency, and the child should get medical care right away. Chemical burns can cause vision loss and even a loss of the eye itself, if not treated right away.

Corneal Abrasions 

A corneal abrasion is a scratch or cut on the clear, dome-shaped layer that covers the front of the eye (cornea). It happens a lot in kids. It’s caused by getting something in the eye, like dirt, or a scratch from a toy, fingernail or contact lens.

Eyelid Lacerations 

An eyelid laceration is a cut on the eyelid caused by trauma. They can sometimes cause damage to the eye itself.

Foreign Bodies in the Eye 

Foreign bodies are objects in the eye that are not meant to be there. The most common things are dust, dirt, contact lenses, sand and makeup.

Fractures of the Orbit

Fractures of the orbit occur when one or more bones surrounding the eye break. This often happens after injury to the face. It can lead to severe eye injury and damage.

It’s key to treat eye injuries right away. This will reduce the risk of long-term damage caused by eye injuries.

If your child has an eye injury:

• Instruct them not to rub their eye.
• Do not apply pressure to their eye.
• Contact your child's primary doctor or eye doctor.
• Go to urgent care or the emergency department for severe eye injuries.

First aid for cuts in or around the eye:

• Gently bandage your child's eye.
• Do not try to remove any particles from your child's eye.
• Do not wash out your child's eye.

First aid for foreign objects in the eye:

• Pull your child's upper lid down onto the lower lid.
• Instruct them to blink many times to try sweeping the object away.
• Use an eye wash to remove the object from their eye.
• Instruct your child to close their eye.
• Contact your child's primary doctor or eye doctor right away.

First aid for chemical splashes:

• Use clean fingers to separate your child's eyelids.
• Flush their eye with water from a faucet or a clean container.
• Do not cover your child's eye.
• Contact your child's primary doctor or eye doctor right away.

First aid for trauma to the eye:

• Gently apply small cold compresses to your child's eye to reduce pain and swelling.
• Contact your child's primary doctor or eye doctor right away.

Any injury to your child’s eye is an emergency needing quick care. Our eye care doctors treat kids with eye trauma.

Comprehensive Eye Care

If your child has an eye injury, our eye care experts will complete an eye exam. They’ll look at the injury and treat it right away.

Eye Surgery

Most eye injuries do not require eye surgery. However, if your child has a severe orbital fracture or there is involvement of the eye, they may require surgery. Doctors may perform the surgery right away or several days after the trauma.