Experiencing a sensation of something in your eye can cause immediate concern and discomfort. Understanding the differences between foreign objects helps determine if it is an insect. Knowing the signs can guide your actions and help you decide when professional medical attention is needed.
Recognizing the Initial Signs
When a foreign object enters the eye, immediate symptoms occur. These sensations can include sharp pain, burning, irritation, or a feeling that something is present on the eye’s surface. You may also notice a scratchy feeling, particularly when blinking.
The eye reacts to an irritant. Common physical responses include excessive tearing and increased blinking. The eye may also become red or bloodshot due to irritation. Sensitivity to bright lights can also occur.
Confirming a Bug’s Presence
To determine if a bug is in your eye, careful visual inspection is necessary. Start by washing your hands thoroughly to avoid introducing more contaminants. Stand in front of a mirror in a well-lit area, or ask someone to help you.
Open your eye wide and look for any visible movement or a distinct shape that resembles an insect. Gently pull down your lower eyelid and look upwards, then gently lift your upper eyelid and look downwards to inspect all areas of the eye’s surface and under the lids. If you see a small, dark speck that moves independently, it is likely a bug.
Ruling Out Other Causes
While the sensation of something in your eye is common, it is not always a bug. Other common irritants include dust, an eyelash, or a speck of dirt. Dust particles cause similar irritation, redness, and a gritty feeling, but they are much smaller and do not exhibit movement. Eyelashes can cause a scratching sensation, but they are visible as a single strand and do not move on their own once dislodged.
A corneal abrasion, which is a scratch on the clear front surface of the eye, can also mimic the feeling of a foreign object. Symptoms like pain, tearing, redness, and light sensitivity are common with abrasions, even after a foreign body might have been removed. Unlike a bug, an abrasion often causes persistent discomfort that does not resolve with blinking or flushing, and there is no visible foreign body present after initial attempts to remove it.
Knowing When to Get Help
While minor irritations can often be resolved at home, certain symptoms indicate a need for professional medical attention. You should seek immediate care if you cannot remove the object with gentle flushing, or if the object appears embedded in your eye. Persistent pain, redness, or the sensation of something still being in your eye after attempts at removal are also indicators to see a doctor.
Any change in vision, such as blurriness or decreased sight, warrants prompt medical evaluation. Severe symptoms like excessive discharge, bleeding from the eye, or if the eye condition worsens despite attempts to clear it, also require immediate consultation with an eye care professional. An ophthalmologist can use specialized equipment to examine the eye in detail and safely remove any remaining debris or address other issues.