Any home pain remedies for a corneal abrasion?
NOV 24, 2014
Answer:
The pain from a corneal abrasion is from the mechanical movement of the eyelid against the open wound. Patients typically note a sharp pain with tearing and redness with each blink. If you get a corneal abrasion, you should see your ophthalmologist immediately for evaluation.
However, prior to seeing your eye doctor, there may be some things that can be done to reduce the level of pain. Pain medications are generally ineffective, however keeping the eye closed with a patch is helpful. You still may feel pain since the eye can move under the eyelid even when it’s closed. Artificial tears ointment approved for use in the eye may also help reduce the irritation.
However, this is not an excuse to skip seeing your eye doctor. There have been many cases where a patient patched his or her eye only to find out they had a corneal ulcer instead of an abrasion. Patching the eye without a physician monitoring in case of an infection is a very bad idea as the closed eye provides a hospitable environment for the bacteria to grow.