Corneal Abrasion

A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the cornea – the clear window on the front of your eye. Abrasions are very painful because there are many nerves that supply this part of the eye. With an abrasion, your eye is often watery, red and sensitive to light. Your eyelids may become swollen and your vision may be blurry.

 Scratches to the cornea are common. The cornea could be scratched by a hairbrush, a fingernail or a tree branch. It may be scratched when a small object such as a dust particle hits your eye. If a small foreign body becomes lodged under your eyelid, this can cause scratches on your cornea.

A corneal scratch usually heals on its own and the pain settles over 24 to 48 hours, but your eye may feel gritty for several weeks. Eye infection could develop following a scratch to the cornea, so antibiotic eye drops or ointment is prescribed for several days to prevent this in most cases. You may be given an eye pad to be worn for several hours and occasionally you may be prescribed a pupil dilating drop, which may help to relieve the painful spasms of the iris.

Anaesthetic drops are only given to numb your eye to help with your examination. They are not prescribed to take home as they will slow corneal healing if used regularly. Please remember that the pain will come back once the anaesthetic has worn off, usually after 20 to 60 minutes. Painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen (if you have no medical reason which prevents you using non-steroidal painkillers) are available over the counter at a chemist or on prescription and can be used to help with the pain.

Sunglasses may help reduce light sensitivity  Avoid rubbing or touching your eye  You may also be advised to use lubricants (artificial tear drops or ointment) to help keep your eye moist while it heals  If you wear contact lenses, please do not use them until your eye is completely healed (usually within two to four weeks)

Provided the abrasion is superficial and there is no secondary infection, most corneal abrasions heal quickly and vision returns completely

Sometimes, though it feels as if the abrasion has healed, you can wake up in the morning several weeks or months following with a feeling that the discomfort from the abrasion has returned. In a small number of cases although the skin over the cornea heals it does not bind down entirely. It can stick to the eyelid at night and rip when waking and opening the eyes or when the eyes move rapidly while dreaming. This is called recurrent corneal erosion syndrome and may require the prolonged use of lubricant eye ointments and occasionally laser surgery. If such symptoms occur seek advice from your local optician.

In most cases, you will not need to return for a further check-up. However, if your eyesight becomes more blurred over time or if the pain and redness are getting a lot worse, you should attend your local optician.