Scratched cornea

[toughdaay]

Is it ok to leave a scratched cornea to heal by itself or do I have to see a dr? I know how it happened my DC accidentally scratched me, it's not painful just feels a bit gritty. Is it likely to get better by itself or do I need to go and get it looked at? Appointments are a nightmare at the moment so I'd rather let it get better itself if that's likely.

It would be an optician you would see. You might need antibiotic drops.

They will tell you that you need antibiotic eye drops to avoid it becoming infected.

I would see how it is in the morning. If it's still gritty then get some because it obviously will take a few days to heal.

I did this with contact lenses. Whilst working in an opticians! Went straight to a and e. Had eye exam and came away with a latch and antibiotic drops. Saturday night around 25 years ago.
It’s not worth messing with your sight. Infections are very bad news. I doubt I all this time things have changed.
I would say go to and e when you can. Ring 111(?) as there may now be other options such as ooh.

Noooo, I've got a thing about eyes so I was hoping to avoid having to do anything with it. Ok I'll make an appointment with the optician. Thanks.

How do you know its the cornea that is scratched?

I've had times when I've had something in my eye, and even if the foreign body is out, it feels irritated and gritty. It normally is fine the next day though.

Hard to say how deep you got scratched or the damage. Is there an opticians you can see? Depending the pain etc, I'd likely leave it overnight and see how it is tomorrow. Nails and fingers have multiple bacteria, so I'd be more concerned about infection.

Specsavers run emergency clinics, give them a call.

I suffer from ripped cornea in my left eye more than I would like to an most of the time I just leave it to fix itself

Definitely optician first, they can refer you to A&E if needs be with a referral letter or you may only need something over the counter from the pharmacist.
Good luck!

You've got no way of knowing whether it's ok and neither do any of us. You'd need a specialist to look at it for that.

So, if you're not happy about you having no way of knowing if it's ok, go and see a specialist.

Most hospitals run an emergency eye clinic for just such situations. Ring 111 and get an appointment booked.

Or as a pp said go to a private specialist ie any high street optician.

Treatment is just eye drops. It's fine.

My husband went to the optician with a gritty eye and they just told him to go straight to the local eye clinic.

He had a piece of metal in it that had healed over.

Self-refer to your local minor eye conditions service (MECS), this includes corneal abrasions

Conditions Can Be Treated by the Service -
If you are experiencing:

Red eye or eyelids
Dry, gritty or uncomfortable eyes
Eye irritation and inflammation
A lot of recent discharge from the eye or watery eye
Recently occurring flashes or floaters
Painful eye
Ingrowing lashes
Recent and sudden loss of vision
Foreign body in the eye
…you can arrange an appointment with an optometrist through the Minor Eye Conditions service.

primaryeyecare.co.uk/services/minor-eye-conditions-service/

primaryeyecare.co.uk/find-a-practice/

You might need a debridement to remove the damaged part before it can heal. You get a local anaesthetic in the form of drops. You then have antibiotic ointment and drops to put in afterwards.

I have a scarred right cornea and they can be difficult to heal, so you'll need attention.