Chemical Injury to the Eye
A chemical injury to your eyes or to your children’s eyes can be vision threatening. Since permanent damage can occur in less than five minutes, this is an ocular emergency that requires immediate treatment. Since prevention is the best cure, you should use extreme caution when working with any type of material that contains chemicals.
At home, the most common cause of chemical injuries are household cleaning products including soaps, bleach and ammonia. In the garden, pesticides and fertilizers, particularly in spray or aerosol form, are a danger. Even seemingly harmless items like perfume, nail polish and remover, along with other types of cosmetics, can burn your eyes. When you are using these potentially harmful products, you should take precautions to avoid spraying or splashing these materials in your eyes.
Accidents can happen to anyone, but the risk is even greater with our children. They can be attracted by the scents that are often added to cleaning products. Also, little girls like to imitate their mothers by trying makeup and nail products. Childproofing your home by keeping these products out of the reach of small children can protect their vision, as well as their lives.
In the work environment, you can be exposed to many potentially harmful materials. Your employer will have safety procedures in place. While people may understand the risk of using solvents and other chemicals in the workplace, there are hidden dangers that may not be perceived as potentially vision threatening.
For example, in the construction trade, a common injury is getting drywall cement in the eyes. People may not understand that this material contains lye, a caustic material that can cause a permanent loss of vision if not treated immediately.
With a chemical splash, symptoms may include burning, tearing, pain and blurred vision. Depending on the severity, damage to your eye can include corneal swelling, scar tissue, infection, glaucoma and even permanent vision loss. Therefore, you should not delay in initiating treatment.
What Should You Do in the Event of a Chemical Splash?
Initiating immediate action - even before seeing your eye doctor - is the key to preventing vision loss from a chemical splash. Because these accidents can happen to anyone, you should develop an action plan before an emergency event occurs.
Step 1
The affected eye or eyes should be immediately irrigated. You should vigorously wash the eye by running water onto it for 15-20 minutes. This can be done by placing the person’s head under a faucet or using a spray attachment to continuously run water onto the eye. You may also immediately jump into the shower without taking time to remove your clothing. The important thing is to keep your eye open as much as possible to allow water to flush the eye. Irrigating for 15-20 minutes will dilute and remove as much of the chemicals as possible.
The affected eye or eyes should be immediately irrigated. You should vigorously wash the eye by running water onto it for 15-20 minutes. This can be done by placing the person’s head under a faucet or using a spray attachment to continuously run water onto the eye. You may also immediately jump into the shower without taking time to remove your clothing. The important thing is to keep your eye open as much as possible to allow water to flush the eye. Irrigating for 15-20 minutes will dilute and remove as much of the chemicals as possible.
Step 2
If there is someone else available, either a family member or co-worker, call your eye doctor while the patient is irrigating the eye. Explain that you have a chemical emergency and will be bringing the patient in as soon as the irrigation is complete.
If there is someone else available, either a family member or co-worker, call your eye doctor while the patient is irrigating the eye. Explain that you have a chemical emergency and will be bringing the patient in as soon as the irrigation is complete.
Step 3
When you bring the injured person to the doctor’s office, please bring the chemical container or label with you, if possible.
When you bring the injured person to the doctor’s office, please bring the chemical container or label with you, if possible.
How Is Damage from a Chemical Splash Detected?
When you arrive at your eye doctor’s office, the doctor will immediately examine your eye, including your eyelids and lashes, to ensure that no chemical residue remains. Further irrigation may be required. A pH test may be performed to determine if the chemical is an acidic or alkaline substance.
Fluorescein eyedrops may be placed in your eye to help the doctor assess the degree of damage. In some cases, however, the degree of permanent damage may not be known for several days. A follow-up visit may be required.
How Is a Chemical Splash Treated?
If the damage to your eye is very minor, no treatment may be required. However, you may be given antibiotic eyedrops to prevent infection. For more serious damage, steroid eyedrops may also be prescribed to reduce inflammation. You may also require oral pain medication and / or dilating eyedrops. In some cases, your eye may also be patched to promote healing.
If your eyelid has been damaged and your eye does not close properly, surgery may be necessary to correct this problem. Surgery such as a corneal transplant may also be required in the case of a severe burn to your cornea. Because cataracts or glaucoma can form as a result of a chemical injury, other surgical or laser treatment may also be required at a later date.
Depending on the severity of the damage, further follow up examinations may be required to monitor how your eye is healing.
For adults, most injuries from chemical splashes can be prevented by exercising caution and wearing eye protection when working with potentially dangerous materials. Keeping these materials out of the reach of children is the best protection you can give them. Ultimately, however, knowing the steps to take in the event of an accident is the key to preventing permanent vision loss in the event of a chemical injury.
Primary Eye Care Specialists at Kadrmas Eye Care New England
Meet our ophthalmologists and optometrists who specialize in primary eye care and general eye health:
