Health Resources

Eye Trauma

Injury Definition

• Injuries to the eye, eyelid, and area around the eye.
• The main concern is whether the vision is damaged
• Older children can tell us if their vision is blurred or out of focus. Test them at home by covering each eye in turn and having them look at a distant object.
• Children less than 5 years old usually need to be examined to rule out serious injuries affecting vision even if the injury is minor.

See More Appropriate Topic

• If foreign body present, see EYE, FOREIGN BODY IN 

Call Your Doctor Now (night or day) If

• You think your child has a serious injury
• Vision is blurred or lost in either eye
• Child reports double vision or unable to look upward
• Pupils unequal in size or abnormal shape
• Bloody or cloudy fluid behind the cornea (clear part)
• Object hit the eye at high speed (such as from a lawn mower)
• Sharp object hit the eye (such as metallic chip)
• Skin is split open or gaping and may need stitches
• Any cut on the eyelid or eyeball
• Constant tearing or blinking
• Child keeps the eye covered or refuses to open it
• Severe pain
• Age < 1 year old

Call Your Doctor Within 24 Hours (between 9 and 4) If

• You think your child needs to be seen
• Bruises near the eye (such as a black eye or bleeding into the white of the eyeball) in child less than 5 years old

Call Your Doctor During Weekday Office Hours If

• You have other questions or concerns

Parent Care at Home

• Mild eye injury and you don’t think your child needs to be seen

Home Care Advice for Mild Eye Injuries

1. Superficial Cuts or Scrapes.
   • Apply direct pressure for 10 minutes with a sterile gauze to stop any bleeding.
   • Wash the wound with soap and water for 5 minutes.
     (Protect the eye with a clean cloth.)
   • Apply antibiotic ointment to cuts. Cover large scrapes with Band-Aid. Change daily.
2. Swelling or Bruises with Intact Skin (including a Black Eye)
   • Apply an ice pack for 20 minutes per hour to reduce the bleeding. Repeat for 4 consecutive hours.
   • Note: A black eye usually takes 1 to 2 days to develop. A flame-shaped bruise of the white of the eyeball is also common.
   • Apply a warm wash cloth for 10 minutes 3 times per day after 48 hours to help reabsorb the blood.
3. Pain Medicine: Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen as necessary for pain relief.
4. Expected Course: Both of these injuries are harmless, last about 2 weeks and cannot be helped by any medicine.
5. Call Your Doctor If
   • Pain becomes severe
   • Changes in vision
   • Your child becomes worse or develops any of the “Call Your Doctor” symptoms

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