Eyes can become scratched when particles of sand, dust, or dirt get into them and make tiny scrapes on the surface of your eye. You will know if you have a scratched eye because you'll feel like you can't open or close it properly and you may feel as if something is in your eye. There are several home remedies for a scratched eye.
Examine
Examine your eye to be sure that there is nothing in it. Dr. Tate, an eye doctor in Minnetonka, MN, says that if a small particle of dust or dirt is still in your eye, it can continue to scratch your eyeball and damage it further. Have someone look into your eye under a light to make sure that there nothing in it. Remove any particles gently with a fingertip. Flush your eye with warm, clean water to remove anything that you cannot remove by hand. If you have a particle that cannot be removed from your eye, go to the eye doctor or the emergency room immediately. Don't waste your time with home remedies if there is still something in your eye, because that could cause permanent damage.
Cover the Eye
Cover your eye once you have made sure there is nothing in it. Dr. Tate suggests covering your eye with an eye patch for a day. This allows it to rest, because it isn't working to make the small movements required to see. Use the eye patch for a day and keep it on at night and see if your eye feels better.
Leave Eye Alone
Leave your scratched eye alone to help it to heal faster. Dr. Tate says that most scratches will resolve themselves in a day or two. You can use plain saline eye drops if your eye seems dry or tired, but other than that, leave it alone. Do not rub it or scratch it.
Seek medical advice if your eye does not get better in one day. Dr. Tate says that this is a case in which home remedies should only be tried for 24 hours at the most. If there is damage to your eye that does not improve within a day of leaving it alone, there might be microscopic objects in your eye that you cannot see. You also might be prone to infection, and leaving it without medical attention can cause a major eye problem, loss of sight, or even blindness.
