There are many types of eye injuries that can occur. Some may temporarily cause pain or hinder vision, while others can lead to permanent vision loss. When playing sports or working with chemicals, it is important to wear eye safety devices such as goggles to protect the eyes. However, when ocular injuries happen unexpectedly, it is difficult to be prepared by wearing goggles. Some of the common types of eye injuries that occur include:

Corneal Scratches

Corneal scratches can be caused by accidentally poking the eye with a sharp object, or by rubbing the eye too vigorously. When people rub at their eyes when there is something in it, the foreign object could scratch the cornea (the clear tissue that protects the iris and pupil). In some cases, new corneal tissue will regenerate and the scratch will heal within a few days. However, if bacteria infects the wound, serious eye problems can occur; if left untreated, patients can even go blind. If you have a corneal scratch, consider seeing an eye doctor, and avoid rubbing at your eyes with your hands.

Corneal Injuries and LASIK Surgery

Patients with serious corneal injuries are generally not good candidates for LASIK surgery, as the procedure involves the creation of a flap in the corneal tissue. If the patient does not have a thick enough cornea, or has corneal injuries, LASIK may not be the best vision correction option for them. In some cases, patients who are not good candidates for LASIK can undergo alternative refractive surgery procedures such as the placement of implantable (permanent) contact lenses (ICLs), PRK, LASEK, Epi-LASIK, or SBK. While the price of these procedures is similar to LASIK costs, the placement of ICLs is usually more expensive.

If you have suffered an eye injury such as a corneal scratch, or any other type of eye problem, it is important that you schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor as soon as possible to prevent further injury.