I walloped myself in the eye, how long will it hurt for and when should I worry?

[BlackAmericanoNoSugar]

I was trying to pull a folder out of a drawer and it suddenly gave and I hit myself in the eye with it. That was about five hours ago. It still hurts but not quite as much, I can open the eye now which I couldn't do for the first two or three hours. It looks ok, just quite bloodshot. I've had paracetamol and ibuprofen, but it's still sore and quite weepy.

If it still hurts tomorrow who would be better to go and see, a gp or an optician?

[Karoleann]

HI,

You've probably just scratched your cornea (don't worry it heals very quickly), but its possible to get a secondary infection so its worth getting it checked out. Absolutely no point seeing a gp - they don't have the equipment to see it properly. I would go and see an Optometrist (Optician).

There is a very small possibility if you hit it hard that you have damaged something else in the eye, so if your vision is very blurry or you're getting any flashes of light - like lightening flashes. I'd go to A&E instead, but you need to go to A&E rather than minor injuries.

[BlackAmericanoNoSugar]

Thanks Karoleann. There's no change in my sight, so that's good. It's still sore and bloodshot today, but improving a bit. It hurts more than the time I got a paper cut on the white of my eye (that one did end up getting infected and I still have a scar). This is more of a general bruised feeling though, the paper cut felt more as though there was something in my eye that was irritating me.