Overview

The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped structure at the front of the eye.

A corneal abrasion is a small scratch or graze to the cornea.

Signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms of a corneal abrasion are:

• a history of injury to the eye (eye trauma)
• a red, painful eye
• a watering eye 
• blurred vision
• a feeling that something is in your eye (a foreign body sensation)

Diagnosing a corneal abrasion

Usually, an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) confirms the diagnosis. They examine your cornea with a microscope.

We give you a drop of anaesthetic to make the examination more comfortable for you. We also put a small amount of dye onto your eye. This helps us to see the abrasion more clearly.

Treatment options

This section explains the possible treatment options for a corneal abrasion.

Antibiotic ointment and an eye pad

The eye pad is to keep your eye closed. This allows the cornea to heal without being interrupted by blinking.

The cornea usually heals in 2 to 3 days. However, it is important to follow your doctor’s instructions about how long to use the ointment.

Lubricants at night

Lubricants are used to prevent your eyelid sticking to the cornea while you’re asleep. Otherwise, this could tear the healing skin.

You might need to use these lubricants for several weeks.

Cyclopentolate

This is a drop that dilates the pupil (makes it bigger) and helps to ease pain. You will have blurred vision for at least 12 hours after using this eye drop.

Your nurse or doctor will give you advice on the use of any recommended treatments.

Not having treatment

The eye can be very painful, but usually the cornea heals and all symptoms pass.

Sometimes, if the corneal abrasion is left untreated, it can lead to inflammation and infection. This might cause permanent damage. 

Recovery

Most corneal abrasions heal quickly and vision returns completely if:

• the abrasion is superficial
• there is no new infection afterwards (a secondary infection)

In a small number of cases, there might be a complication. Although the skin over the cornea heals, it might not bind down entirely and can stick to the eyelid at night. This means that the skin can rip when you wake up and open your eyes, or when the eyes move rapidly while dreaming. This is called recurrent corneal erosion syndrome. It might need treatment with:

• long-term use of lubricant eye ointments
• sometimes laser surgery

If you have any of these symptoms, you need to get medical advice.

What you can do to help

• Do not drive if we give you eye drops that could blur your vision or an eye pad.
• If we give you an eye pad, take extra care (particularly when walking up or down the stairs).

When to get help

If the symptoms do not go away with treatment after 48 hours, contact the nurse practitioner in eye casualty, phone: 020 7188 4336, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4pm.