Eye injuries are serious, even when they seem minor. Some injuries could cause permanent damage, loss of sight, and in worse case scenarios, loss of life. And they are unfortunately a fairly common occurrence. Eye injuries occur about 2.5 million times a year, according to WebMD, although not all of them cause permanent damage.
In the unfortunate case where an injury is sustained, you must immediately go to a hospital for an eye exam. The treatment administered as well as the time is taken to heal depending on the type of damage dealt and the area damaged.
If you get injured on the job due to faulty equipment or other negligence on the part of the employer, knowing the type of injury and how many hours of work the injury would cost you would help you or your lawyers carry out a personal injury insight which would help when filing for compensation.
In that light, here are some common eye injuries and how long they take to heal
Corneal Abrasion
This is caused by particles getting into the eye and causing scratches or abrasions on the cornea. Particles like sand and dust are the major culprits. In a situation where a foreign particle enters your eye, you should refrain from rubbing your eyes as this rubbing action usually cause the objects to scratch your cornea. The safest methods of removing these objects are to either rinse the eye with water or to blink severally to trigger your tears to rinse them out.
In a situation where metal, glass or other man-made particles enter your eyes, you shouldn’t even think of rubbing your eye. If rinsing does not work, you should go to a doctor immediately.
Normal corneal abrasions take two days to heal. However, more complicated situations could take longer.
Black Eye
Black eye or bruise to the eyelids is caused by blunt force to the eyes, face or nose. The result is swelling of the skin around the eye and discoloration due to the rupture of blood capillaries beneath the skin. Black eyes can be treated by applying a cold compress to the affected area for about 20 minutes. It takes about two weeks for a black eye to fully heal, according to Everyday health.
Hyphema
Hyphema is the pooling of blood in the space between the iris and the cornea. This pool is usually visible and can lead to reduced vision and other problems. Hyphema is a serious injury that requires immediate medical attention and is usually caused by trauma to the eye that could occur during sporting or other physical activities, falling, or workplace injuries. Some symptoms include pain, blurred vision, pooling of blood, sensitivity to light, etc.
You shouldn’t wait for the visible pool of blood before consulting a doctor as small hyphemas may not display this symptom. Treatment for hyphema should be recommended by your physician but could include: bed rest, eye drops, etc. Hyphema usually takes around two weeks to heal.
Chemical burns
Chemical burns are caused by harmful chemical splashes in or around the eye. It could also occur from contact with the eye, like scratching or rubbing, after handling harmful chemicals like alkalis, acids, and other irritants. Symptoms of this include swelling, irritation, stinging, blurred vision, etc.
Chemicals burns could be minor and only cause stinging, or it could be serious and cause complications, and if not treated properly or on time could lead to cataracts, glaucoma, or blindness. You should see an Ophthalmologist immediately any chemical comes in contact with your eyes. You should first rinse your eyes with clean water for about 15 minutes with your eyelids open. This is important as it helps dilute any chemicals in your eye thereby mitigating damage.
The amount of time taken for eye burns to heal is best recommended by your Ophthalmologist.