The golden rule when dealing with an eye injury is: if in doubt check it out! If your child is complaining of any of the following after an eye injury then you should take the following action:
- If they have a red eye or pain in the injured eye that doesn’t go away within a short period of time or if there are any changes to your vision (blurriness, floaters) then you should consult your G.P. urgently.
- If your child gets a foreign object in their eye, such as sand, sawdust or metal shavings, don’t rub it. Flush the eye for several minutes with lukewarm water. If it still feels like there is something in there, consult your G.P. immediately.
- If your child has been hit in the eye and it looks swollen or appears to be bleeding or if they complain of any loss or disruption of vision you should make your way to the A&E immediately.
It is important to remember that an eye injury left untreated can have serious complications such as loss of vision so it is imperative to check with your G.P. or ophthalmologist.
