A scratched eye, known medically as a corneal abrasion, usually heals on its own within one to two days if the scratch is small. The most important things you can do right away are rinse your eye with clean water or saline, avoid rubbing it, and keep your hands away from it. Beyond those basics, there’s more to know about pain relief, when the scratch needs professional attention, and how to avoid complications.
What to Do Right Away
If you feel something scratch your eye or notice sudden pain, tearing, or the sensation that something is stuck in your eye, start by flushing it. Rinse with clean water or saline solution. You can use a small, clean drinking glass positioned with its rim resting on the bone at the base of your eye socket, or a worksite eye-rinse station if one is nearby. Blinking several times while flushing can help wash out loose debris.
What you don’t do matters just as much. Don’t rub your eye, even if the urge is strong. Rubbing can deepen the scratch or push a foreign particle further into the surface. Don’t use cotton swabs, tweezers, or anything else to try to pick out debris. And if something appears embedded in your eye or your eye won’t close, leave it alone and get to a doctor.
Pain Relief That Actually Works
A scratched cornea can be surprisingly painful for such a small injury. The cornea is packed with nerve endings, so even a tiny abrasion can cause sharp, constant discomfort, light sensitivity, and heavy tearing.
Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen are the standard recommendation for managing the pain at home. Anti-inflammatory eye drops have been studied for corneal abrasion pain, and while they do seem to reduce the need for oral painkillers, the overall evidence isn’t strong enough to recommend them over simple oral pain relief. Your doctor may also use a single dose of a prescription eye drop that relaxes the muscles inside your eye, which stops painful spasms that can accompany a scratch.
One thing that doesn’t help: eye patches. It seems intuitive that covering the eye would protect it and speed healing, but clinical evidence shows patching probably makes no difference to pain at 24 hours and doesn’t lead to faster recovery. The College of Optometrists and other professional bodies no longer recommend them for simple corneal abrasions.
When You Need to See a Doctor
Small scratches from a stray eyelash or a brief poke often heal without medical treatment. But certain situations call for prompt professional care:
- Something pierced your eye rather than just grazing the surface
- Extreme pain that doesn’t ease up after flushing
- Sudden decrease in vision or persistent blurriness
- Fluid leaking from the eye
If any of these apply and you can’t reach an eye doctor, head to urgent care or the emergency room.
When you do see a doctor, the exam is quick and painless. They’ll place a drop of orange dye on the surface of your eye (sometimes on a small piece of blotting paper touched to the eye) and shine a blue light. Any scratches or damaged areas glow green under the light, letting the doctor see the exact size, shape, and location of the abrasion. This also reveals any tiny foreign bodies still sitting on the cornea.
How Doctors Treat Larger Scratches
For bigger or dirtier abrasions, doctors typically prescribe antibiotic eye drops or ointment. The antibiotics aren’t treating an infection you already have. They’re preventing one from developing while the scratch is still open and vulnerable.
Drops need to be applied every two to three hours but are more comfortable. Ointments last longer and only need to go in every four to six hours, but they blur your vision temporarily. Your doctor will choose based on the size of the scratch and your daily routine.
Contact Lens Wearers Face Higher Risk
If you wear contact lenses and scratch your eye, the situation is more serious than a typical abrasion. Contact lens-related scratches are prone to developing into infected corneal ulcers, particularly from Pseudomonas bacteria, which are common in water and soil, and Staphylococcus aureus, which lives naturally on skin.
The risk climbs if you sleep in your lenses, don’t disinfect them properly, rinse them with tap water, or “top off” old solution instead of replacing it. If you get a scratch while wearing contacts, remove the lenses immediately and call your eye doctor. These abrasions almost always warrant antibiotic treatment targeting the specific bacteria that thrive in contact lens environments.
How Long Healing Takes
Most small corneal abrasions heal within one to two days. The cornea regenerates its outer layer quickly because it’s one of the fastest-healing tissues in the body. Larger scratches can take several days to a week, and your doctor may want a follow-up visit to confirm healing is on track.
During recovery, wearing sunglasses can help with light sensitivity. Artificial tears (preservative-free drops) keep the surface lubricated and reduce the gritty sensation. Avoid wearing contact lenses until the scratch has fully healed and your doctor gives the okay.
A Complication Worth Knowing About
Some scratches that seem fully healed can cause problems months or even years later. A condition called recurrent corneal erosion happens when the original injury disrupts the bonds between the layers of the cornea. The outer layer doesn’t reattach firmly, so it can peel away again, sometimes triggered by something as minor as opening your eyes in the morning.
Symptoms feel identical to the original scratch: sudden sharp pain, tearing, and light sensitivity. Left untreated, recurrent erosion can cause long-term vision problems. If you experience a repeat of your original symptoms weeks or years after a corneal scratch, let your eye doctor know about the previous injury. Treatment is available and effective, but it starts with recognizing the connection to that earlier scratch.