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Corneal abrasion (scratched eye)

Erosio corneae · Oděrka rohovky (poškrábané oko)

What it is

A scratch of the clear front of the eye from a fingernail, branch, contact lens or grit — very painful, but most heal in 1–3 days; contact lens scratches can become infected.

Symptoms & signs

  • Sharp pain, feeling of something in the eye
  • tearing, redness
  • light sensitivity
  • blurred vision
  • pain on blinking

🚩 Get help if…

  • call 112 / 911 now Injury from a high-speed object, like hammering or grinding
  • see a doctor soon Loss of vision or a white spot on the cornea
  • see a doctor soon Pain getting worse after a day, or not gone in 2 days
  • see a doctor soon Scratch while wearing contact lenses

Where it strikes

Medical treatment

  • Fluorescein stain to see the scratch
  • flush and remove any foreign body
  • antibiotic drops or ointment, covering Pseudomonas in lens wearers
  • pain relief
  • Eye patching — no faster healing not confirmed in trials
  • no numbing drops to take home
  • high-speed metal fragments: X-ray to exclude penetration

Natural & lifestyle

  • No contact lenses until healed
  • safety glasses for grinding and gardening

Emerging & experimental

  • Short courses of home anaesthetic drops — small trials say safe

Alternative, off-label & anecdotal

Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.

  • Breast milk in the eye — no evidence; infection risk not confirmed in trials
  • Cold compress over the closed eye — comfort only anecdotal / traditional

ICD codes