Treatment and When to See an Eye Doctor
Treatment Options for Something in the Eye
Wash your hands before you go near the eye, and do not rub it, because rubbing can do more damage. Blink a few times and let your tears work. If the speck is still there, rinse the eye with clean water or saline. Pulling the upper lid out and down over the lower lashes can help sweep out a particle trapped underneath. In good light, a speck on the white of the eye or inside the lower lid can often be rinsed off. Leave anything on the colored part of the eye alone, never use tweezers or anything sharp, and skip medicated drops unless an eye doctor has told you to use them. At the office, the doctor removes a particle that rinsing did not clear and checks the eye for a scratch.
When to See an Eye Doctor
Book a same-day visit if rinsing has not cleared it, or if it still feels like something is in the eye after the speck is out. If the eye is red, painful, sensitive to light, or your vision is reduced, stop treating it yourself and get medical care. Go to the emergency room first if the eye has been cut or punctured, if a chemical splashed into it (rinse with clean water first, then go), or if your vision drops suddenly. A cut or punctured eye should not be rinsed, pressed on, or touched, and nothing stuck in it should be pulled out. If an object is stuck in the eye, or you were hammering or grinding and a metal fragment may have hit it, do not try to remove it yourself, and get medical help right away. The office is closed after hours, so for these signs at night, the emergency room is the place to go.
