Bruised eye

Eye contusion is considered one of the most serious injuries, since contusion can damage the following structures of the eye:

• The cornea of the eye.
• Sclera.
• The lens of the eye.
• Choroid.
• The retina of the eye, even to the point of detachment.
• Eyelids.
• Optic nerve.
• Lacrimal ducts.

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How does a bruised eye manifest itself?

Eye contusion is accompanied by characteristic symptoms, although a minor contusion does not always manifest itself with typical signs of eye damage. Often a rebound ball or a branch hitting the eye damages the superficial layers and does not cause severe pain. Indeed, such an injury does not damage the eyeball and is not considered a penetrating wound. However, after some time, vision may deteriorate, increased lacrimation, and swelling appear. This is explained by the hemorrhage that was provoked by the eye contusion in a child, no matter how strong it was. The consequence of the contusion can be various complications, the general condition also changes depending on the severity of the injury, up to an increase in temperature, dizziness and nausea.

Despite the fact that the elasticity of the eyeball is quite high, a bruise of the eye can provoke the following traumatic injuries:

1. Injury to the cornea and anterior chamber of the eye. If the eye was covered by an eyelid during the contusion, it may also be damaged. The damaged eyelid swells, a hematoma appears under the conjunctiva, and bleeding often occurs. Sometimes the edematous eyelid swells so much that it completely covers the eye slit. In case of corneal injury, stromal edema, destruction of the corneal structure, and loss of transparency are usually diagnosed.
2. The most dangerous is a contusion of the eye, which is accompanied by bleeding into the hemophthalm (into the eye chamber). Literally a minute after the blow, bloody exudate accumulates in the hemophthalm, blocking the eye, which significantly reduces vision - hyphema.
3. A contusion can lead to a rupture of the iris in the pupil area, as a result, the pupil is unable to narrow or expand, that is, to react to light. Such an eye contusion also damages the nerve endings of the iris.
4. A severe eye injury can cause a rupture of the ligaments that support the lens – this is the Latin name for the crystalline lens or our unique biological lens. It is thanks to the lens that a person can focus their gaze on objects, the lens is responsible for the refraction of light and its conductivity to the retina. If the holding ligaments are damaged, injury to the lens itself is inevitable, and, therefore, the loss of its transparency. Dislocation of the lens and cataract caused by a bruise is one of the most dangerous consequences of an eye contusion.
5. A contusion of the eye can lead to damage to the retina, even to its detachment. This occurs in the case of a strong blow, when the capillary network located under the retina - as the retina is also called (Retína) is torn. There is a special ophthalmological term - Berlin's retinal opacity or traumatic retinopathy. As a result of the contusion, a subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs, the deep layers of the retina swell greatly due to the fact that the exudate comes out into the space between the retina and the vascular layer (membrane).

The symptoms of an eye contusion are very specific and include the following signs:

• Severe pain in the area of the damaged eye.
• Sensitivity to light (photophobia).
• Increased lacrimation.
• Noticeable decrease in visual acuity.
• Cranial dystonia or blepharospasm (eyelids close involuntarily).

First aid for eye contusion

An eye contusion of any severity requires at least a visit to an ophthalmologist, since damage to the extremely vulnerable vascular network that penetrates the sclera is inevitable. The process of restoring injured capillaries takes a long time, if specific therapy is not started, blood clotting and the formation of coarse connective tissue will occur. As a result, either retinal detachment or damage to the lens and further risk of cataracts, glaucoma. Before it is possible to get advice and treatment from a doctor, it is necessary to ensure complete rest for the eye. A sterile dry bandage is applied to it. Any physical activity, bending and sharp turns are excluded to avoid the risk of retinal detachment. Drops for eye contusion are used as a preventive measure against the ingress of an infectious agent into the injured area - you can drip sulfacetamide (albucid).

Mild to moderate eye contusion will require outpatient treatment, more serious cases require constant medical supervision and hospitalization.

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