*First Aid is a skill that all must have, it is not something meant for only health workers or people in occupational hazards or the like. Hazards are no respecter of persons neither does it consider your profession or your location before it launches at you, it could happen to you or a loved one at any inopportune time.*

![IMG_20190422_112849.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmcW2Frv2v5WgQHxvsTqNe22EpQbFM1EHSDa4y7cBqxH27/IMG_20190422_112849.jpg)
<center><sub>image by @nattybongo</sub></center>

*Now when this happens, knowing some of the basic things to do could go a long way to saving a life or reducing the extent of damage that could have occurred, or even saving an organ or a limb, etc. And so if you have never had any training in first please do give it a try, you never know when it may come in handy.*

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##### <center> Ocular First Aid </center>

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With that said, knowing some basic things about the eye and what to do can literally save a person's sight in the case of an accident or hazard to the eye, and in the same vain doing the wrong thing could potentially damage the eye so much and cause irreversible or irreparable damage to the eye.

![IMG_9172.JPG](https://images.hive.blog/DQmX8e8qKwc7Ksg6GEVgvPDNMmfMJ2juY1Wav7WpYGAc1qy/IMG_9172.JPG)
<center><sub>image by @nattybongo</sub></center>

Before some of these basic things that ought to be done for the eye, let me add that the best option in the situation of a hazard is to see the nearest Optometrist or Ophthalmic nurse for initial evaluation and care however in the situation where you find yourself at a point where none of these individuals can be reached, then it becomes important that you try to keep the eye in a safe state.

In the case of chemicals falling or getting into the eye the first response should be rising the eye with copious water, the best is to do this under running water and keep irrigating the eye for as long as possible, this would not only help dilute the chemical and reduce the intensity of the damage but also wash it off. Please do not tape or cover the eye in this instance as it could cause more damage to the cornea which could permanently damage the vision.

The same thing should be done for other foreign bodies that may get into the eye. Please avoid blowing air into the eye of the victim in an attempt to get a foreign body out of the eye. Instead put the eye in a bowl of water and blink a lot, the object should come off unless it is embedded in the cornea or other ocular adnexa. Blowing air on the eye could send the foreign body into corners making matters worse, and there is the part where you end up introducing more particles into the eye from your mouth, bacteria even.

![20181011_111234.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmPdnjdxRa6wNckWUjiNXv3s5o8bbWmwRCmsb97JnDXi4d/20181011_111234.jpg)
<center><sub>image by @nattybongo</sub></center>

The last one I am going to mention is using any ocular drugs on the eye after a hazard. I had a patient this week who decided to use a sibling's eye drop because he felt discomfort and unfortunately for him, it was an antiglaucoma drug, the pressure of the eye went below the limit resulting in extreme pain that ended up bringing him to the clinic. Each eye drop has a particular function to play and using one just because it is available at home could be your worst mistake.

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##### <center> Conclusion</center>

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Please avoid over-the-counter medication in the case of a hazard to the eye, it is better to leave the eye as it is till a professional consult and assessment are made than to worsen the situation and possibly put your sight at risk by doing so.

![IMG_1407.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmV3fK6TMeS4Nj53sadmgsxqPsQXD3oeTGxGAFn8sg8QoJ/IMG_1407.jpg)
<center><sub>image by @nattybongo</sub></center>

Remember, when in doubt, speak to a professional, do not seek a diagnosis from Google with your symptoms, stay safe, and always do right by yourself when it comes to your health. It is a pleasure to serve you today. Thanks for your time.

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##### <center> Further Reading </center>

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<sub>**WOLTER H. (1954). Pierwsza pomoc w urazach oczu [First aid in ocular injuries]. Wiadomosci lekarskie (Warsaw, Poland : 1948), 7(2), 95–98..**</sub>

<sub>**Permezel S. (1998). Ocular first aid. Australian family physician, 27(3), 192–193..**</sub>

<sub>**Chang, K. C., Huang, Y. K., Chen, Y. W., Chen, M. H., Tu, A. T., & Chen, Y. C. (2020). Venom Ophthalmia and Ocular Complications Caused by Snake Venom. Toxins, 12(9), 576. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12090576.**</sub>

<sub>**Chai, H., Chaudhari, N., Kornhaber, R., Cuttle, L., Fear, M., Wood, F., & Martin, L. (2022). Chemical burn to the skin: A systematic review of first aid impacts on clinical outcomes. Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries, 48(7), 1527–1543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2022.05.006.**</sub>