Eye cleaning 101: How to do it right?

Getting something stuck in your eye is painful, period.

Once you have a foreign object in your eye, you first feel irritation and a burning sensation. And after endless cursing and a lifetime of blinking, you finally get it out. But, did it really come out?

Particles of dust or dirt or debris can go deep into your eyes. And the moment’s comfort that you take as a sign of ‘situation under control’ can actually be the calm before the storm.

Whenever something gets inside your peepers, they produce tears to get it out. Your eyelids, eyelashes and tears, everything works as a defence mechanism for your eyes against the foreign bodies.

But, in some misfortunate cases, you can accidentally splash a liquid or pass some junk into your eyes. This will need you to wash your eyes clean to take the dirt out. But, what’s the right way of washing your eyes? And can you clean them up with soap and water just like you do the rest of your body? Get ready to find out.

What to do?

To give your eyes maximum protection, there is a variety of online glasses with wide face shields that will cover them up. Those who don’t use safety glasses, read below to know what you should do when something gets in your eyes.

Before you do anything about your eyes, how you should wash them depends on what really has gotten inside them.

If it’s a chemical or splashes of liquid detergent, you will have to wash it out using warm water. You may as well splash water on your eyes for 15 minutes as it will soothe the burning sensation and take that thing out in the process.

In case your eyes are hurting due to a sand grain or dust particle floating on your lower lid, you don’t need warm water to clean’em up. You just need an unused tissue to take it out. However, this way isn’t gonna help if the thing is in the eye.

Steps to take

Never touch your eyes with dirty hands. Not even when you are trying to get stuff out of them. So before you let your hands come close to your peepers, wash them with soap & water and remove your contacts if you wear any.

Note: Do not rub your eyes as it will only get the dirt move even deeper. Doing so may also scratch your cornea and you will have to face some vision problems. In case you have done that, run to an optician and have an eye test to know the amount of damage your eyes have incurred.

Inspect the problem

You first need to find the location of the foreign object. This will help you know the exact area of your eye you need to target when you are cleaning them. You will also need to identify the type of object — dirt, makeup, eyelash.

Wash’em out

• Bend over the sink and keep your eyes under the running water for 15 minutes.
• Try to keep your eyes open and make sure that the water pressure is not too high.
• It will make your eyes tear up making the object flow out of them.
• If this doesn’t help, take a bowl filled with water and dip your face in it. Blink your eyes for a few minutes and see if the culprit has gone away.

Moving eyelids

Trying the steps mentioned above should get the job done. For the people whose struggle doesn’t end here, moving your eyelids around is your next next shot at taking the dirt out of your eyes.

Place your upper eyelid over the lower eyelid and move your eye in the upward direction. Stop for a second and check if the object has fallen on your face or eyelashes.

See an eye doctor

When everything fails, you can always take professional help. If these methods weren’t of any use to you, go to your eye doctor. If something big such as a metal item or glass piece has penetrated your eyes, seek immediate help.

Even after the removal of the foreign body, if you feel pain or water coming out of your eyes, don’t hesitate to seek urgent medical help.

Protecting your eyes from foreign bodies

Prevention is better than cure. Believing in this idea we suggest you always take extra preventive measures to ensure eye safety. Here is what you should do:

• Do not forget to wear safety glasses when you are in a dusty or windy place or if your surroundings have dust and debris flying around.
• Use glasses with side shields.
• Avoid walking or standing near anyone who is doing drilling or grinding.
• When playing outdoor sports in open grounds, use your safety goggles.
• Those who wear prescription glasses, you can use safety goggles with your optical power.

The takeaway

Most of the things that get in your eyes can be removed easily with tear production. But when it comes to your vision, never take any chance. In case you feel irritation in the eye even after the irritant has been removed, consult an eye specialist.