Ok, not the most flattering picture I have ever seen of myself, but it matches how I felt in this moment. While building a custom closet in our house, a piece of debris dropped from overhead into my right eye. Getting dust and debris in your eye is not all that uncommon when remodeling a home, but this case was a bit special. It happened on a Saturday early afternoon, and I attempted to just shake it off and keep working. After a few hours of eye pain and the involuntary clinching of my eyelid, I relented to going to a local urgent care for an examination. The doctor numbed my eye and examined it under a light without any success of finding the source of the discomfort. The only relief I could find was to lay down with my eyes closed. We were thinking that I just scratched my eye at this point. Fast forward to Sunday morning. We would normally get up and go to church serviced. That did not happen on this day. I was having so much eye pain that I asked my wife to take me to the local emergency room, as I was certain this was more than a scratch. Again, they numbed my eye and examined it for debris. And again, they said nothing could be see but they would “irrigate” my eye for a preventative measure. That procedure basically involves putting a large suction cup on your eye and flowing saline through it. Wow. The pain was almost unbearable. I was released from the hospital with a “take two aspirin and let’s see how it goes” message. (Later, we learned that was almost a $1000 treatment plan when we received the bill) The pain continued as it had before into Monday. I travel for work and was scheduled to get on a flight from Cincinnati to Houston early that afternoon. Faced with the decision of whether I try to tough it out or not, I called a local eye doctor and in almost unbelievable fashion, they said they would squeeze me in given my situation. After 3 minutes in the examination room with only listening to my symptoms, the doctor said, you have something in your eye lid that is causing the eye pain. After almost 48 hours of pain and being examined by two other doctors, I wasn’t feeling optimistic at that point. With a quick flip of my eyelid and a dabbing of a swap, my eye pain was immediately gone, and the doctor showed me a piece of plastic debris about the size of a grain of salt.

Removing debris from the eye is important to prevent irritation and potential injury. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to safely remove debris from the eye:

  1. Wash your hands: Before touching your eye, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. This helps reduce the risk of introducing additional contaminants.
  2. Use clean water: If you have access to clean, lukewarm water, use it to flush the eye. Avoid using water from sources that may contain impurities, like ponds or lakes.
  3. Tilt your head: Tilt your head over a sink or basin so that the affected eye is facing downward. You can also ask someone to help you if needed.
  4. Hold open the eyelids: Gently use your fingers to hold open the affected eye’s upper and lower eyelids. If the debris is only in one eye, make sure to keep the other eye closed to avoid transferring the debris.
  5. Flush the eye: Using a clean, sterile eyewash solution or lukewarm water, pour a gentle stream into the eye. The water should flow from the inside corner of the eye (near the nose) to the outside corner.
  6. Blink and roll your eyes: While flushing, blink your eyes several times and roll your eyes to help remove the debris from the surface.
  7. Check for the debris: After flushing, check if the debris is still present. If it’s gone, blink a few more times to make sure the eye is comfortable.
  8. Repeat if necessary: If the debris is still in the eye or if you feel any discomfort, repeat the flushing process.
  9. Do not rub your eye: Avoid rubbing your eye as it can cause further irritation or damage.
  10. Seek medical attention: If the debris persists or if you experience persistent irritation, redness, pain, or vision changes, seek medical attention from an eye care professional. They can examine your eye and provide appropriate treatment if necessary.

Remember, if the debris is a sharp object or a chemical, do not attempt to remove it yourself. Seek immediate medical attention instead.

If you don’t feel comfortable performing these steps or are unsure about the nature of the debris, it’s best to consult with an eye care professional promptly. They can provide appropriate guidance and ensure your eye health is properly addressed.