Dr. Anjali Mehta

Excessive blinking or the urge to rub your eyes is most often caused by foreign objects in your eyes. This foreign object can be anything from your own eye lash to dust or a shard of metal. The area these foreign objects affect is the cornea or the conjunctiva. It can scratch the cornea causing an infection of affecting your vision if not treated in time. A foreign object usually enters your eye as a result of a high impact collision or force like wind etc. Some of the symptoms of having a foreign object in your eye include:

1. Pressure or discomfort in the eye
2. Pain in the eye
3. Excessive tearing and clear or bloody discharge from the eye
4. Increased sensitivity to light
5. Redness in the eye

Blinking continuously a few times can dislodge some types of foreign objects. If it affects your vision or causes constant tearing consult a doctor. Do not attempt to rub your eyes in an effort to remove the object. Instead restrict the movement of your eye until a doctor can remove the irritant. To avoid further injury to the eye, bandage the eye with a clean cloth. If the object does not allow you to close your eye, cover it with a paper cup and bandage it. Do not use anything, such as tweezers or cotton directly on the eye.

In some cases, the irritants can be seen with the naked eye. If you think something is stuck in your eye, wash your hands and look at your eye under a bright light. Pulling the lower lid down and flipping the upper eye lid can allow you to see the eye more clearly. To remove a foreign object under the upper eyelid submerge the eye in a flat bowl of water and rapidly open and close it a few times. This can help flush the object out of your eye. Alternatively pour a glass of warm water over your eye while keeping them open. Washing the eye can help get rid of irritants stuck under the lower eyelid.

In more serious cases, anesthetic drops are used to numb the eye. The eye will then be observed under a magnifying glass to see the extent of the injury. Your doctor may use several methods to remove the irritant depending on its size and extent of penetration. You may also be given medication to help deal with the pain caused by the object.

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