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Corneal injury

A corneal injury is often a scratch or graze on the clear surface of the eye. It can cause severe pain, watering, redness and light sensitivity. Most small injuries heal well, but contact lens use, dirt or metal in the eye, pus, worsening vision or increasing pain may indicate infection or deeper damage. Never use anaesthetic eye drops at home to suppress the pain.

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  • A scratch on the cornea often immediately causes pain, watering and light sensitivity.
  • The eye can look only mildly affected despite considerable pain.
  • Contact lens wearers have an increased risk of infection and need earlier assessment.
  • Do not rub the eye or use anaesthetic eye drops at home.
  • Worsening vision, pus, metal particles or chemicals make the situation more urgent.

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Further reading

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F
Foreign body in the eyeA loose speck of dust can often be removed by blinking and plenty of clean water, but a splinter can scratch the cornea, become embedded or penetrate the eyeball at high speed. Do not rub, use tweezers or press on the eye. Reduced vision, severe pain, sensitivity to light, a distorted pupil, a visibly embedded object or a metal-on-metal injury requires immediate ophthalmic assessment.
R
Red eyeA red eye is a symptom with many causes. Itching or discharge is often harmless, but pain, sensitivity to light, worsening vision, contact lens use, an abnormal pupil, a newborn baby or an eye injury requires prompt assessment.
E
EpiscleritisEpiscleritis is usually mild inflammation of the thin tissue between the conjunctiva and the white of the eye. It often causes a sudden local red patch, irritation and mild tenderness without reduced vision. A red eye with severe deep pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision, contact-lens use or injury needs prompt assessment because a more serious cause may be present.