A foreign body is something such as an eyelash, sawdust, sand,
or dirt can that gets into the eyes. The main symptom is irritation or pain.
First Aid
- Glass fragments in eye
With your child bending forward, try to get flakes of glass
off the skin by blowing on the closed eyelids. A few pieces may be removed
by touching them with a piece of Scotch tape. Pour water over the eyelids
and face to get off any remaining glass. Cover the eyes with a wet washcloth
and call your child's health care provider. The eye should not be rubbed.
- Small particles in eye
If there are a lot of small particles in the eye (such as
dirt or sand), clean around the eye with a wet washcloth first. Then have
your child try to open and close the eye repeatedly while submerging that
side of the face in a pan of water. If your child is too young to cooperate
with this, hold him face up under a gently running warm water tap or pour
warm water into the eye. The eyelids must be held open during the
irrigation.
- Particle in a corner of the eye
If the particle is in the corner of the eye, try to get it
out with the corner of a clean handkerchief or a moistened cotton swab.
- Particle under the lower lid
If the particle is under the lower eyelid, pull the lower
lid out by depressing the cheek and touch the particle with a moistened
cotton swab. If that doesn't work, try pouring water on the speck while
holding the lid out.
- Particle under the upper lid
If the particle can't be seen, it's probably under the upper
lid (the most common hiding place). Try having your child open and close the
eye several times while his face is submerged in a cake pan or pie pan of
water. If this fails, pull the upper lid out and draw it over the lower lid.
This will sometimes dislodge the particle.
Call Your Child's Health Care
Provider Immediately If:
