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Trauma to the EyE

Green Eye

consult the under-eye experts

Periocular trauma can affect not only the eye itself but also the surrounding eyelid tissue and bony skeleton. The severity of the trauma depends on the force and mechanism of injury; this can range from a minor bruising, to one requiring immediate medical attention and surgery.

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Eye trauma
Eye trauma

What Is Eye Trauma?

Eye trauma meaning, in a nutshell, refers to any sort of injury to the eye. The cause may be mechanical, chemical, or even the result of burning or radiation, and trauma to the eye is often a very serious injury, requiring urgent treatment to minimise or prevent long-term visual impairment or loss.

There are three distinct forms of eye trauma:

  • Eye socket injury
  • Eyelid trauma
  • Eye trauma

Each form requires its own tailored treatment plan. Let’s look at each one in more detail.

Fractured Eye Socket

The eye socket, or orbital cavity, is the space that surrounds the eyeball, including the tissue walls, muscles, and bones that protect and secure the eyeball in place. Injuries like an eye socket fracture or eye socket broken bones fall under the umbrella of eye socket trauma.

Blunt force trauma is a common cause of fracture eye socket issues. The bony walls of the socket are relatively thin and easily damaged by harsh physical impacts. Most commonly, it’s the medial wall and the orbital floor that end up broken or fractured.

You may ask, “Is a fractured eye socket serious?” In most cases, absolutely. Even light damage to this sensitive, delicate part of the body could lead to severe consequences – double vision, loss of sensation, problems with eye movement, and more.

Fractured Eye Socket Surgery

When dealing with blunt eye trauma or some sort of penetrating eye injury that has caused an eye socket fracture or break, treatment approaches vary according to the severity of the injury.

In mild cases, specialists may simply allow the bones to heal on their own. In the meantime, the patient can use ice packs, painkillers, and decongestants, as well as take care not to disturb the eye (such as avoiding blowing their nose).

In more serious cases, surgery is invariably the only option. Either oculoplastic or maxillofacial surgeons will be tasked with repairing the damage. These specialists will typically evaluate each patient’s injury to determine whether surgery is necessary.

Eyelid Trauma

The eyelid provides a layer of protection over the eye. It keeps the eyeball moist, blocks out light, and prevents dryness. In short, it has a big role to play in overall eye health. And, since it’s the first line of defence against injury, a lot of eye trauma cases almost inevitably involve some degree of eyelid trauma.

This can range from mild bruising to more serious bruises, lacerations, tears, or burns. Bruising may make the eyelids swell up, which, consequently, makes them harder or even painful to open and close.

Cuts and lacerations, meanwhile, may impact the tear ducts and drainage channels that take moisture away from the eye. This could lead to complications with excessively watery or dry eyes, along with many more possible symptoms.

Eyelid Laceration Treatment

While eyelid bruising should fade on its own with time, lacerations typically require manual intervention and specialist eye trauma therapy. Surgery, involving either local or general anaesthetic, can help to repair the tissue and speed up the body’s natural healing processes.

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Eye trauma
close up portraitwoman eye

Eye Trauma

Of course, the eye itself is also at serious risk in cases of mechanical trauma, burning, or exposure to chemical agents or radiation. The eyeball is a delicate and sensitive organ, and here are some of the common forms eye trauma can take.

Traumatic Iritis

Typically, this is the result of a blunt or penetrating injury to the eye. Traumatic iritis leads to inflammation of the iris – the coloured part of the eye – and this can lead to permanent visual impairment. Symptoms include pain, light sensitivity, redness, dilated pupils, and blurred or double vision.

Traumatic Iritis Treatment

Eye drops are the go-to solution in many cases of traumatic iritis. Specifically, cycloplegic eye drops to widen the pupils and relieve pain, combined with corticosteroid eye drops to calm inflammation. Additional medications may also be provided to ease symptoms and streamline recovery.

Even with prompt treatment, there are risks of lifelong visual damage as a result of traumatic iritis.

Subconjunctival Hemorrhages

This is one of the less severe forms of eye trauma, with a reasonably short eye trauma recovery time. Subconjunctival hemorrhages occur when blood vessels in the whites of the eye break or burst, leading to lots of redness and visible blood within the white tissue.

Despite their worrying appearance, hemorrhages like these usually are no worse than skin bruises and shouldn’t cause much or any pain, discomfort, or visual difficulty.

Subconjunctival Hemorrhages Treatment

In most cases, treatment isn’t necessary, as hemorrhages, like bruises, will fade on their own – often within a week or two. But you may be prescribed drops to ease any dryness or discomfort.

Eye trauma

Chemical Burn in Eye

Chemical agents, such as acids, can cause serious and lasting damage to the eyeball and surrounding tissue. The exact level of damage done will depend on the nature of the chemical(s) involved – some may only cause minor irritation and tear production, while others could lead to blindness.

As such, it’s important to wash eyes thoroughly if ever they’re exposed to any chemicals and see a specialist as soon as possible.

How to Treat Chemical Burn in Eye?

Irrigation (washing) of the eye is the most critical first step after exposure to chemicals, as this can help to wash out as much of the dangerous solution as possible and prevent it from dealing further damage.

After that, specialists will need to conduct tests and assessments to discern which chemicals were used and the extent of the damage done. They may use more advanced irrigation tools and techniques to clean all around the eye and prescribe drops to soothe pain and inflammation.

Antibiotic eye drops may be needed, along with dilating drops, artificial tears, topical steroids, and painkillers.

In severe cases, surgery may also be required to restore as much vision and functionality as possible. This could include the introduction of Limbal stem cells to help the eye recover or even corneal transplants – replacement of the cornea if it has become cloudy and damaged beyond repair.

Penetrating Eye Injury

Typically caused by mechanical trauma, this injury is when a foreign body actually penetrates the exterior shell of the eye. It’s one of the most serious of all eye injuries, and common causes include DIY accidents, assault, or an injury at work.

Symptoms will vary according to the nature of the incident and depth of the injury but may include serious pain, visual impairment or loss, and lacerations to the cornea and iris.

How to Treat a Penetrating Eye Injury?

First steps with injuries like this are to examine the eye and assess the depth and extent of the wound. Specialists can then make informed decisions about the next best steps, which could involve surgery to repair the damage.

The patient will usually be given painkillers – as eye injuries like these often cause some discomfort – as well as antibiotics to manage any infection. Patches and shields are typically placed over the eye, too, to guard against further damage.

The surgery itself may include the removal of any object that is still within the eye, as well as repairs to the retina, which may be torn or detached, and the ocular globe. General anaesthetic is typically used to numb any pain the patient could experience, and surgeries can take some time, due to their intricate nature.

It’s important for patients to acknowledge that, even with prompt surgery, an injury like this can leave lasting, lifelong effects, like visual impairment or even blindness in the damaged eye. Additional treatments or solutions may be needed following surgery. This could include prosthetic eye surgery.

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FAQ

Can eye injury heal on its own?

Milf Injuries can sometimes be left to heal on their own, but in the majority of cases, surgery is needed to get the best outcomes.

How long do eye injuries take to heal?

This is extremely variable, but eyelid trauma usually heals quickly within 2-3 weeks although the final result is only observable after several months.

Why are eye injuries so painful?

Because the eye is filled with nerve endings, which are needed to help with eye functionality and processing light and colour. This means that the eye is really sensitive, and even a light injury often causes massive pain, because of all those exposed nerves.

How do eye specialists diagnose eye trauma?

Diagnosis is done through visual examinations, vision tests, speaking with the patient about what happened, and possibly more advanced screenings – X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, etc.

What can I do at home for an eye injury?

It’s always best to see specialists for eye injuries but there may be some home care techniques you can employ afterwards to help your eye heal. Applying eye drops, for example, may help, as well as using a cold, wet compress (ice pack) to soothe pain and swelling. You may want to wear an eye patch, too, and use painkillers to manage your symptoms.