It's something in my eye [LOCK]

Regina Fong

God damnit. Last night the fan in my workspace blew something into my eye. It didn't feel great but it didn't hurt horribly, and I was really, really busy so I just kind of rubbed at it, and it got worse, so I rubbed at it some more. I was on duty, and the rather primitive mirrors in the restrooms revealed nothing except my eye being a bit red. I went to sleep and woke up for watch, eye still bothering, it continued to bother me all day. I finally get home and pry my eye open in front of a real mirror, with actual light and sure enough, there is a tiny, speck on my iris. I'm not sure what it is, whether it's something actually in my eye, or if I scratched some sort of tiny divot into my cornea with all the rubbing.

So, it doesn't hurt too bad, it's more just that I can feel something in there. What should I do, other than not rub my eye anymore?

Zombiemambo

Try washing your eye out with water. If it doesn't come out, it might be a scratch.

Edcrab

Wash it repeatedly and continuously for a good long time, and then go see a doctor regardless.

Seriously, I got an infected eye once due to a tiny mote of sawdust and it gummed up and I had to use eyedrops and overall it was an experience filled with yellow pus and pain that I'd much rather forget about. See a doctor!

Mmmm... Cocks...

When my contacts bother me sometimes I just grab my giant bottle of contact solution and go to town.

Oh, I've wasted so many bottles. But red eyes don't go good on me.

Regina Fong

Ok, well everyone in chat is yelling at me to go to the doctor, so I guess I'll try flushing my eye with contact lens solution, and if there is still a scratch/foreign body in there I'll go to the hospital.

Thanks.

Shogun

jeepguy wrote: »

Ok, well everyone in chat is yelling at me to go to the doctor, so I guess I'll try flushing my eye with contact lens solution, and if there is still a scratch/foreign body in there I'll go to the hospital.

Thanks.

I'd wash it out very well first and sort of wait and see what happens. I use to get eye infections constantly when I worked at this convenient store. I'd count a huge stack of money and rub my eyes and wake up the next day with my eye oozing yellow shit and whatnot. In that case you do have to go to the doctor but from the sound of it your eye is irritated. I'd just wash it out really well and see if you feel some relief but if it gets pussy (you know what I mean) then you'll need to hit up the doc. He'll give you some antibiotic eye drops.

Whatever you do save them when you're done with them. I never used the whole bottle and it was really handy when I got another infection two weeks later. Not saying thats what will happen but just toss it in the medicine cabinet for safekeeping.

Regina Fong

Shogun wrote: »

jeepguy wrote: »

Ok, well everyone in chat is yelling at me to go to the doctor, so I guess I'll try flushing my eye with contact lens solution, and if there is still a scratch/foreign body in there I'll go to the hospital.

Thanks.

I'd wash it out very well first and sort of wait and see what happens. I use to get eye infections constantly when I worked at this convenient store. I'd count a huge stack of money and rub my eyes and wake up the next day with my eye oozing yellow shit and whatnot. In that case you do have to go to the doctor but from the sound of it your eye is irritated. I'd just wash it out really well and see if you feel some relief but if it gets pussy (you know what I mean) then you'll need to hit up the doc. He'll give you some antibiotic eye drops.

Whatever you do save them when you're done with them. I never used the whole bottle and it was really handy when I got another infection two weeks later. Not saying thats what will happen but just toss it in the medicine cabinet for safekeeping.

Well I rinsed the shit out of it with contact lens solution, and it isn't super painful, more just irritated and distracting. The more I look at it, the more I think it's a scratch and not something actually in my eye. Seems like a foreign object in my eye would be much more painful and difficult to ignore. It's so annoying that our corpsman is on leave this week. I may skip the hospital tonight and go to the on base clinic tomorrow. If its just a scratch (which I really think it is) they'll just give me motrin anyway.

AbsoluteZero

A tiny speck on your iris is concerning. It could be in your eye, like a sliver. I'd have a doctor check it out if it's still there after rinsing.

DevoutlyApathetic

Yea, getting it looked at is a fine idea. You don't need an ER, if you've got a prompt care facility near you this kind of thing is essentially their entire purpose.

Shogun

Yeah if washing it out doesn't give you actual relief I'd hit up a doc. It could be a sliver, or a scratch. Either way infection is possible.

Corvus

Jeep, I think something potentially being stuck in your eye is pretty much the definition of a "Doctor. Now!" situation. Get it checked out, even if it seems to have calmed down a bit.

Blake T

I find the best way to properly rinse an eye is to get a glass and fill with water and put it around your eye and tip it back while bilnking constantly.

Nozz

Having that thing in your eye for any length of time is EXTREMELY dangerous. Eyes are very prone to infection, and having a foreign body inside you has got to be the best way to ensure infection. If you don't have any success with a thorough rinsing, I wouldn't waste any time getting to a doctor. The last thing you want is swelling and redness in your eyes, hindering your vision and causing constant discomfort.

tsmvengy

Blaket wrote: »

I find the best way to properly rinse an eye is to get a glass and fill with water and put it around your eye and tip it back while bilnking constantly.

Do this ASAP.

Regina Fong

Okay, so I didn't go to the hospital last night (possibly a poor gamble but oh well). Went into the clinic this morning and they dropped some stain into my eye and shined a UV light to make sure there was no foreign body still in there, there wasn't.

Small gouge, like a divot in my cornea, which is what I was seeing in the mirror. They gave me some eye drops to prevent infection, and were fairly surprised that I wasn't in worse pain.

I go back on Friday just to make sure it's healing.