Child Health A-Z

First-Aid for the Eyes

To reduce the risk of permanent damage caused by eye injuries, it is important to treat eye injuries immediately. Consult your child's physician or ophthalmologist (eye care specialist) as soon as possible.

First-aid for cuts in or around the eye:

Gently bandage your child's eye.
Do not apply pressure to your child's eye.
Instruct your child not to rub his/her eye.
Do not try to remove any particles from your child's eye.
Do not wash out your child's eye.

First-aid for foreign objects in the eye:

Instruct your child not to rub his/her eye.
Pull your child's upper lid down onto lower lid and instruct them to blink repeatedly. The lower eyelashes may sweep the particle away.
Use an eye wash to wash out the speck or object from your child's eye.
Instruct your child to close his/her eye.

You should seek medical attention immediately if the above procedures do not work.

First-aid for chemical splashes:

Use fingers to separate your child's eyelids, then flush his/her eye with water from a faucet or clean container.
Seek medical attention immediately.
Cover your child's eye.

First-aid for physical trauma to the eye:

Immediately, but gently, apply small cold compresses to your child's eye without applying pressure to reduce pain and swelling.
Contact your child's physician or your child's ophthalmologist (eye care specialist) immediately.

Last Update
February 3, 2008

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