Eye splashes and injuries in summer: the minutes that save your sight

Eye injuries increase in summer, and in such cases, the speed of response makes all the difference. The most common are of three types: those caused by chemicals (splashes of chlorine and swimming pool products, cleaning products or barbecue lighter fluid), those caused by heat (embers, sparks, hot oil) and photokeratitis, a surface injury to the eye caused by excessive sun exposure, typically occurring on a day at the beach or whilst sailing without approved sunglasses: hours after exposure, intense pain, watering eyes, sensitivity to light and a gritty sensation may appear.

If a chemical splashes into your eye, the first thing to do is not to go to the doctor: it is to rinse. Rinse the eye immediately with saline solution or, failing that, clean tap water, using a plentiful and continuous flow for at least 15–20 minutes, keeping the eye open and allowing the water to wash the substance out from the nose. Remove your contact lenses if you are wearing them; do not rub your eye, do not apply eye drops or home remedies, and keep or photograph the product label. Once you have rinsed the eye, seek medical attention without delay: see your GP as soon as possible and, if the injury is serious, there is severe pain or you notice a loss of vision — or if you are simply on holiday and cannot contact your usual GP — go straight to A&E at the nearest hospital. The severity of these injuries is not always apparent at first glance, and those caused by alkaline products are particularly treacherous.

In the case of heat-related injuries and photokeratitis, avoid rubbing your eye, do not apply ice directly to it, and seek medical advice: most cases of photokeratitis improve within 24–48 hours with the right treatment, but it is essential to rule out more serious injuries. Any eye injury involving severe pain, loss of vision or a change in the appearance of the eye requires urgent attention — and the sooner it is treated, the better the visual prognosis will be.
Save this article: if you get something in your eye, knowing what to do in the first few minutes could save your sight.