What is an eye injury?

Eye injuries include bruises, punctures and scratches. They can result from accidents, exposure to chemicals or foreign objects in the eye.

See an ophthalmologist right away if you have an eye injury. Some eye injuries heal with rest and at-home treatments. Others can cause serious eye damage and vision loss.

What are the most common eye injuries?

Eye injuries range from mild to severe. Some of the most common eye injuries include:

• Black eye: A blow to the eye or the tissue around it causes a black eye. The area around the eye is bruised, swollen and painful. The eyelid may also be cut. The swelling can interfere with vision.
• Bleeding in the eye: An eye surface hemorrhage (bleeding) can result from straining too hard (such as during a cough) or from trauma to the eye. A subconjunctival hemorrhage happens when blood appears in the clear skin part of the eye (the conjunctiva) that covers the white part (the sclera). Blood can also pool between the cornea and the iris (the clear transparent of the eye and the colored part). This bleeding is called a hyphema.
• Burns and irritation: Chemicals, fumes and other irritants can burn or damage the eye, leading to vision loss.
• Corneal abrasion: Foreign objects, fingernails, contact lenses and other items can scratch the cornea. The cornea is the clear transparent area on the front of the eye. Corneal abrasions cause pain, sensitivity to light, and eye watering.
• Injury from a foreign object: When something lodges in the eye, vision problems and eye pain can result. The most common foreign objects in the eye include dirt or debris, sawdust or shattered glass. Contact lenses can cause eye injuries when they stay in the eye too long.
• Orbital (eye socket) fractures: Trauma or blunt force to the bones surrounding the eye can cause a fracture. Orbital fractures usually happen when an object or fist hits the eye. In an orbital blowout fracture, bones inside the eye socket shatter. The muscles that support the eyes can stretch, tear or become trapped. Children are especially susceptible to this.
• Retinal detachment: A detached retina can cause permanent vision loss. It usually results from age-related changes or trauma to the eye. It happens when the retina (thin tissue on the back of the eye) pulls away from the wall of the eye.

Who is at risk of an eye injury?

Anyone can get an eye injury. Kids and teenagers are more likely to injure their eyes, especially while playing sports or doing other recreational activities. People who play contact sports like football and hockey have a higher risk. Baseball and softball players are more likely to have an eye injury from a flying ball.

Construction workers and people who work with chemicals, lasers and potential irritants have a higher risk of an eye injury on the job. Eye injuries can happen at home while doing yard work, cooking, cleaning or setting off fireworks.