What to Do if You Get Something in Your Eye When you get
something in your eye, you may feel an impulse to rub furiously
until the dust or dirt is gone. Don't. Rubbing the eyelid can
drag foreign bodies across the cornea, causing increased
irritation and possibly scratching the cornea. The cornea, the
clear portion of the eye covering the iris and pupil, has lots
of nerve endings and is very sensitive. Scratching the cornea
can cause excruciating pain, as many contact lens wearers know.
In addition, vigorous rubbing may imbed foreign particles in the
cornea or sclera, the white portion of the eyeball. This may
result in further complications. If a foreign body is imbedded
in the sclera or cornea, you should not try to remove it. A
scratched cornea or a foreign body are conditions that need to
be treated by an ophthalmologist or an optometrist. Attempts to
remove foreign bodies without proper equipment and expertise are
seldom effective and often make the problem worse. Here are
several tips you should know if