The cornea, the dome shaped clear covering of the front part of the eye, is the first line of defense against injury to the eye. As such, it frequently suffers scratches and injuries from dust and other airborne materials, contact lenses, tree branches, children's fingernails and other unpredictable moving objects. A scratched eye, formally known as a corneal abrasion, is a painful but usually fast healing injury, as the outer layer of the cornea regenerates quickly. A health care professional should examine any painful eye injury. Treatment aims to prevent infection or further damage to the eye, and to decrease discomfort.
Antibiotics
Antibiotic drops or ointments help prevent infection that could lead to serious damage to the eye. Antibiotic ointments may also soothe the eye at the same time. Ointments or drops may be applied every 1 to 2 hours if the injury has a strong potential for developing an infection, Peggy Liao M.D. of the University of Hawaii explains.
Bandage Contact Lenses
Soft contacts known as bandage contact lenses are sometimes applied to corneal abrasions to decrease discomfort and speed healing, says Joseph Rappon, O.D. of the Pacific University of Oregon.
Cycloplegic Drops
Cycloplegic drops, dilating drops that temporarily paralyze the ciliary muscle, which opens the pupil, decrease spasms in the muscle that can lead to increased pain in the eye.
Pain Medication
Corneal abrasions are very painful, even if the pain usually lasts only 24 hours, or so. Ophthalmic analgesics may be applied at the time of the examination, but are not given for home use, as they may slow healing, the Merck manual warns. Narcotic pain medication may be required to treat pain.
Patching
Pressure patching the eye to hold it closed, once the standard of care for corneal abrasions, is now controversial . Patching may actually increase the risk of infection, the Merck Manual warns. Some doctors may decide to patch, while others may opt to leave the eye unpatched, especially if the object that scratched the eye had a high potential to cause infection. The purpose of patching for 24 hours after an injury is to allow the outer epithelial layer to heal without further injury. Patient comfort may increase if the eye is patched so they can't move it, but some patients find patches annoying.
