Causes of corneal abrasions

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by MSc Hoang Thanh Nga - Department of Medical Examination and Internal Medicine, Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.
The thin cornea is the most vulnerable part of the eye area. Just coming into contact with dust, dirt, sand, or even the edge of a piece of paper can scratch or tear the cornea. In some cases, corneal abrasions become infected and cause very serious corneal ulcers.

1. What is a corneal abrasion?

Corneal abrasion or corneal epithelium is an abrasion on the corneal surface caused by a foreign body that causes damage to the eye and affects vision. The cornea is the outermost transparent aqueous layer of the eyeball, which acts as a "shield" to protect, and at the same time, combines with the lens and pupil to focus light from the image transmitted to the lateral retina. in the eyeball. Foreign objects flying into the eye such as dust, sand grains, small insects... can fly into the eye and stick or stick to the cornea. If not treated properly, the disease can cause corneal ulcers or permanent corneal damage.

2. Causes of corneal abrasion

There are many causes of corneal abrasions. Foreign objects flying or sticking to the eye are the main cause of corneal erosion. Small foreign bodies such as dust and sand particles that stay on the eyelids for a long time can cause scratches on the cornea when you blink or rub your eyes. Cigarette smoke, wearing contact lenses for a long time, rubbing the eyes or eyes exposed to direct sunlight can also cause corneal abrasions.
Corneal abrasions can happen at any age and during any daily activities such as movement, walking, repairing or even accidentally touching the cornea with a strong hand.

3. Symptoms of corneal epithelial slip

When a foreign body is present in the cornea, the eye is red, painful, and becomes sensitive to light. Vision may be temporarily blurred. If a foreign body causes an abrasion in the cornea, the patient usually feels:
Dizziness (bulk in the eye), irritation, redness, or tearing. Depending on the time and inflammation caused by foreign bodies can cause vision loss. Difficulty opening eyes. Therefore, when a foreign object is attached to the eye, if the foreign body cannot be removed or the eyes feel heavy even after removing the foreign object, the vision is impaired or blurred, the eyes are watery, and need to go to the doctor immediately. Reputable eye clinics and hospitals.
What do you have to do before seeing the doctor? + First of all, do not rub your eyes to avoid further damage to the cornea.
+ You can use liquid eye drops, or 0.9% physiological saline to drop a lot into the eye for the foreign body to drift out. Or put your face in a basin of clean water, and blink in the water about 3-4 times.
+ Ask someone to draw eyelids to see if there is a foreign object in the eye? If it can be removed, remove it with a clean and soft object, do not blow, easy to cause infection
Then see an ophthalmologist immediately. If the foreign body is plugged into the cornea or eyeball, it is imperative to see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible
When do you need to see a doctor? When you have a foreign object in your eye, you should see a doctor to be treated with the best treatment methods.
Children with corneal abrasions: Take your child to see a doctor if his vision is impaired, his eyes are painful or red or watery. For adults: see your doctor if you are unable to remove the foreign body from your eye or if you feel bloated even after removing the object, your vision is impaired or blurred, your eye is bleeding.

3. Risk of corneal abrasion (abrasion of the cornea)

What factors increase the risk of corneal abrasions (abrasion of the cornea)? The possibility of corneal slip or foreign object flying into the eye increases if you:
Wear contact lenses Work in a smoky environment such as a wood factory, a textile factory... without wearing safety glasses Live in a place with a lot of dust. sand or contaminated Play sports like football, basketball

4. Prevention

Need to avoid foreign objects flying into the eyes such as wearing goggles, avoiding dust
If you have a corneal slip, you should maintain the following living habits to make the treatment process more effective:
Use ointments and medicines Use eye drops exactly as directed, and take medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor Always rest your eyes after working for too long Tell your doctor if you feel your eyes become more painful, irritated, or your corneal abrasion is getting worse Always wear safety glasses when working

With a team of leading experts and modern equipment, Vinmec International Hospital is always the place of trust of customers in examining corneal diseases as well as performing corneal transplants in corneal diseases. complex membrane. Corneal transplantation can be performed in patients of all ages to improve visual function.

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