What are the most common eye injuries? That’s one of the questions we hear most often, at Valley Eyecare Center, and it’s a good one! People should be more aware of threats to their eyesight, so they can take steps to avoid danger.

Here’s what you need to know.

The Most Common Types of Eye Injuries

1 – Eyelid damage

One of the main reasons we have eyelids is to guard the eye itself, so often, the eyelid gets damaged instead of the eye. Minor cuts and scrapes on the eyelid are quite common, and are no danger as long as they’re cleaned and disinfected.

Bruises on the eyelid, aka ‘black eyes,’ are also a common side effect of taking a direct impact in the eye area. Black eyes can be treated for the swelling with an ice pack, but otherwise are not dangerous.

2 – Corneal abrasions

If the eye itself gets damaged, this is most often in the form of a cut or scratch on the cornea – the outer lens of the eye. This could be caused by something as basic as a poke to the eye, or a piece of flying debris hitting the eye.

An eye doctor needs to examine the cut to determine the extent of the injury – although generally the level of pain indicates how bad it is. Minor cuts will heal on their own; deeper cuts usually need some antibiotics to ensure they don’t become infected.

This is why it’s important to wear eye protection whenever there’s a risk of flying debris or particles.

3 – Subconjunctival hemorrhage

This means bleeding beneath the sclera, the white part of the eye. Most typically, it’s caused by direct impact or damage from flying debris or particles. This will give the eye a bright red look, from the blood beneath the surface.

In most cases, the sclera will heal itself in a few days. Have it checked out, but your eye doctor probably won’t need to do much unless it’s a genuinely serious injury.

4 – Blowout fractures

A blowout fracture is when the bones surrounding the eye are broken, typically from a hard direct impact. This is extremely serious, as any fragments of the broken bones could damage the muscles around the eye, or even dig into the eye itself.

If you ever take a hit so hard the bone cracks, contact your eye doctor immediately! Valley Eyecare Center is here to help; click here for an appointment.