A corneal abrasion is a scratch or cut on the cornea, the clear lens that covers the front of the eye. Some abrasions can heal in as little as a day -- but others may take closer to a week. This means there’s plenty of time for lasting damage to happen and infection to sneak in through the cuts. To prevent this, there are eye drops that can be used to treat the corneal abrasion. Here’s a look at how those eye drops work.
Eye Drops for Diagnosis
There’s more than one kind of eye drop that is essential to healing a corneal abrasion. During the initial exam, your eye doctor may use drops to numb your eye to make the exam less painful. Additionally, fluorescein dye is vital to diagnosis. When it is dropped into the eye, it will fill in any abrasions and appear under a blue cobalt light. This will allow your eye doctor to see where the abrasion is located and how serious it is.
Antibiotic Eye Drops
Another important eye drop for helping corneal abrasions heal is a topical antibiotic. While these can come in ointment form, there are also eye drops available. Infection can get into the eye through a scratched cornea. Part of the job of the cornea job is protecting the eye from invasive bacteria and other types of infections. When injured, the integrity of the cornea’s protective system is damaged, and it becomes easier for microbes to sneak in. These antibiotics can be used as a preventative measure as well as to treat any infection that is already present.
Lubricating Eye Drops
For minor corneal injuries, a lubricating drop may be sufficient. This will keep the eye moist while undergoing its own healing process without any pharmaceutical help. This can be helpful for avoiding issues like corneal erosion, in which the new cells don’t latch on firmly and can be easily (but painfully) ripped back off just by opening your eye. Keeping the eye nice and moist can make the eyeball less sticky. These eye drops are available over the counter.
Eye Drops for Pain and Swelling
Eye drops that might be considered specific to corneal abrasions are those intended to help reduce pain and swelling. The epithelium (the outermost of the five corneal layers) has thousands of nerve endings. These act as pain receptors, making eye injuries very painful. Certain eye drops have properties that not only relieve this pain, but can make the eye less sensitive to light, which is a common side effect of corneal abrasions. Additionally, a steroid drop can be used to help reduce inflammation (much like getting a steroid injection for muscle pain). These steroid drops can also help minimize scarring, which can permanently inhibit vision.
